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Guide: how to have a ‘what matters’ conversation with someone with dementia
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Guide: how to have a ‘what matters’ conversation with someone with dementia

This guide explains how to support someone living with dementia to set and achieve personal outcomes.

Last updated: 23 June 2025

Finding out what’s important to someone (from their point of view) rather than what’s important for them (from someone else’s point of view) is a key part of strengths-based practice.

By understanding individual needs – and involving the person and their support network – we can make sure that their care and support is tailored, compassionate, and respectful.

It helps create a supportive environment that makes a person’s quality of life better.

People with dementia may have different needs, which could affect how you communicate with them to find out what matters to them.

Who this guide is for

Anyone can use this guide to support someone with dementia.

Some practitioners may have other ways to support people to express what matters to them, which aren’t included in this guidance.

You can find resources and guidance to help you use strengths-based practice in our strengths-based practice section.

Note for practitioners

This guide is a starting point for ‘what matters’ conversations. You can use it as often as you need to, for as long as you need.

The most important thing is to capture, share, and understand what matters to the person you’re supporting, and use that information to give support.

While dementia is a condition that doesn't improve over time, it's important to focus on maintaining quality of life. Setting goals around stability, well-being, and daily enjoyment can help people live well with dementia.

Regularly recording and sharing this information helps maintain a high quality of life for the person, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.

Contents

  1. 1. Preparing for a ‘what matters’ conversation

    How to prepare for a 'what matters' conversation with someone with dementia.

  2. 2. Understanding the person with dementia

    People with dementia are more than their diagnosis. Person-centred care and getting to know what matters to someone with dementia help us understand them.

  3. 3. Who to involve in ‘what matters’ conversations

    In every conversation, take every opportunity to include the person themselves as much as possible. You should also involve people around the individual you’re supporting.

  4. 4. When and where to have a ‘what matters’ conversation

    Time your conversations to suit the person you’re supporting.

  5. 5. Communicating with someone with dementia

    What to consider when communicating with someone with dementia

  6. 6. Dementia and trauma-informed care

    What to consider to provide trauma-informed care

  7. 7. LGBTQ+ and dementia

    People who are LGBTQ+ and have a diagnosis of dementia can benefit from supportive and inclusive environments.

  8. 8. Learning disabilities and dementia

    Things to consider when supporting someone who has a learning disability and dementia.

  9. 9. Dementia and other conditions

    It’s important to know whether the person has any other diagnoses or conditions.

  10. 10. Storytelling in dementia

    Storytelling helps people with dementia make sense of the world and what is happening to them.

  11. 11. Recording and sharing your conversation

    If you’re having a ‘what matters’ conversation as part of a planned process, such as an assessment or care plan, there’ll usually be an agreed way to record the information.

  12. 12. Resources: how to have a ‘what matters’ conversation with someone with dementia

    Resources you can download and use in your 'what matters' conversations with people with dementia.