The pros and cons of ‘therapeutic lying’ in dementia care

While truth should always be the starting point, some lies – or ‘untruths’ – can minimise distress, although they can raise ethical concerns for nurses and carers

For many nurses who work with people with dementia, lying – or at least not telling the whole truth – is almost part of the job.

As many as 96% of care staff in dementia settings say they use lies while caring for their patients, according to a 2006 paper , with most doing so to ease residents’ distress. So it seems many believe that,