The Cherish Connection Approach
When dementia enters a life, things start to change. For the person diagnosed and for those who love and support.
Sometime, too often, support and interactions get reduced to a distant and quiet sense of pity. Care gets reduced to safety checklists and clinical routines.
I work differently. My goal is to help the person diagnosed, and the people who love them, feel safe, seen, and connected. From diagnosis to end of life.
To do that, I bring three distinct elements into balance - I use a 3 foil propeller to imagine this.
I call this Insight, Connection, and Pulse: When all 3 foils are attended too - there is motion, flow and they blur into one art-of- caring movement. But without attention it’s hard to get much sustained momentum, and it can feel like friction, despite trying so very hard .
Here is what that actually looks like in practice:
1. Insight: Understanding the Changing Brain
Dementia changes how the brain processes the world, not the human needs.
The approach: I am a certified Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care® educator. I can help you understand the basic changes happening in the brain, and how they result in daily things our loved one experiences.
What this means for you: Deeper understanding. We stop reacting and start responding. You get practical, layman’s terms translation of why things are shifting, and how you can respond with clarity and kindness instead of confusion. We build awareness, knowledge and practical skill. And we look at what remains, how to work with it, and how to genuinely support someone living with dementia, even when changes keep happening.
2. Connection: True Person-Centred Presence
This is not “mindless sitting” or watching the clock. It is highly skilled, active 1:1 engagement designed to meet a person exactly where they are, at any stage of dementia, with what matters to them.
The approach: I weave together the gold standards of modern dementia care:
Tom Kitwood’s Flower: Focusing on the six core psychological needs we all share—love, comfort, identity, occupation, inclusion, and attachment.
The Validation Method: Deep, attuned communication. If someone is looking for their mother or living in a different decade, I don't correct or argue. I meet them in their reality.
Contented Dementia: Using practical communication frameworks to preserve peace of mind, prevent distress, and protect the relationship.
Namaste Care & Sensory Engagement: Using touch, scent, nature, and the arts to honour the spirit within, especially in the later stages when words are no longer available.
What this means for you: Your person is engaged as an equal partner in their care. We focus entirely on what remains, bringing moments of genuine peace, shared joy, and connection into their day.
3. Pulse: Supporting the Team
The person diagnosed relies, more as time goes on, on those in their team to keep their world spinning and not stagnating. That team—whether it is a partner, a family network, or professional staff—carries the daily, quiet and huge responsibility of keeping another person's life running.
The approach: This team is the heartbeat that keeps everything together and everything going, but you cannot sustain it without your own pulse of support. I am here to back you up.
What this means for you: You don't have to figure this out in isolation. I can help you look at options to build your team, be part of the team, act as a listening non-judgemental ear when things feel heavy, share practical resources, or help guide your next steps.
Why this is different:
When we only focus on one or two of these areas, the system stalls. You can have all the understanding (Insight) but not have the hours in the day that your loved one needs to enjoy their owb hobbies. Or you can have a beautiful connection, but feel completely exhausted and isolated without a team (Pulse).
When all three work together, the daily experience of dementia shifts. It becomes lighter, more fluid, and grounded in real relationship.
Flexibility Built Around You
Every care situation is unique, and you may already have some of these pieces beautifully in place. Or,
Perhaps you already have a strong, dedicated support network (Pulse) but want my specialised 1:1 time with your person (Connection).
Perhaps you have the connection, but need my help translating changes your loved one is experiencing (Insight) so everyone is on the same page.
Or perhaps you want to bring all three together.
My work is completely flexible. We can focus on a single foil, or work together across all three. More than likely, it will be an initial Insight, followed by my 1:1 time with your loved one, so that you can focus on yourself - so that you can come back fresh.
We do whatever it takes to help your specific propeller of caring for your individual - to keep spinning with lightness. That your Person always shines as the Gem that they are.
Let’s find our path forward.
Whether you are a professional looking for specialist support for a client, or a family member looking for a way to breathe again, you don't have to navigate this in isolation