The first time I walked into a secured dementia unit, I wanted to slither away. Each resident seemed to be babbling, staring, or trying to remove clothing. Some of them drifted toward me, strange smiles pasted across their faces.

As a young pastor, I tended to avoid the old and the cognitively impaired. When I later became a retirement home chaplain, I had to care for the people I had feared and neglected.

At my first visit, I was rescued by a sympathetic staff person. She explained that these people were glad to see anyone, especially a minister. She introduced me to each person, helping me to see the faces of individuals behind the masks of dementia. She showed me how gently and eagerly they responded to simple questions and directions.

That started my learning. Here's how I now visit in such settings.

Check atmospheric signs

When I entered the dementia unit that first time, I felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliar (persons with dementia often feel the same way!). Now when I enter, I aim to sense ...