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

Time your conversations to suit the person you’re supporting. You should think about:

• when they need to take medication and its side effects
• what time of day they’re relaxed and have no other commitments
• having the conversation during an activity that helps them focus
• For example: during a walk or while gardening
• making sure they have enough time to settle down for the conversation
• whether they’ll need to attend an appointment before or after your conversation, and allowing extra time for them for this.

You should make sure the person you’re supporting is comfortable during the conversation.

Hold it in a place where they’re likely to focus and feel relaxed, preferably somewhere familiar to them.

Think about whether the space needs to be quiet so it’s easier for you to communicate with them.

Some types of dementia can make it difficult for the person to process things. For example, if there’s a lot of background noise, they may have trouble working out what you’re trying to say to them.

Before you have a conversation, consider if the environment is suitable.

The Alzheimer's Society has a helpful checklist you can use to make an environment dementia-friendly.