90 Second Rule

Communication and Dementia

When I first started working as an occupational therapist, I had a difficult time working with client’s with dementia.  It is A LOT different learning about dementia in school versus actually working with real people who have dementia.  I never realized how much more time and effort it took to engage my client's with dementia. 

About a month into working, I was fortunate enough to attend a dementia seminar where I learned so much valuable information I was actually able to use in my practice.  One of the pieces of information I learned and that I still hold with me today is the 90 second rule.

 90 Second Rule

Client’s with dementia process things much slower than us, which many clinicians may forget or realize.  The 90 second rule states that people with dementia may take up to 90 seconds to process information. For example, if you ask Mr. Smith “can you stand up from the chair?” he may take up to 90 seconds to process the command and stand up.  The 90 second rule has helped me so much while working with client’s with dementia and has helped me to better understand what is going on in their head.

Caregiver Education

It is no secret that it takes patience and compassion to work with individuals with dementia.  90 seconds may seem like a lot of time and you may want to keep commanding him/her. However, each time you repeat the question or command, you are re-starting the clock.  This is a very important strategy and great opportunity for educating caregivers.

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