Make Eye Contact With Your Family Member Or Patient
Eye contact is an essential part of any form of communication and is essential when communicating with dementia patients or family members. It may forge a connection between the two of you and give your loved one time to possibly recognize who they are speaking with. Do not hover over a person with Alzheimers or dementia while you are communicating. This manner of communication may be intimidating and will make it hard for your family member to engage in eye contact or conversation. Rather bend down to be at the same level as they are, facilitating a more respectful conversation.
At What Stage Of Dementia Do Hallucinations Occur
In a nutshell Hallucinations are caused by changes in the brain which, if they occur at all, usually happen in the middle or later stages of the dementia journey. Hallucinations are more common in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s dementia but they can also occur in Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
Caregiver Tips To Communicate Effectively With People With Dementia
Its one thing to know how to physically care for someone with dementia by helping them:
- Make it to doctors appointments
But its quite another to communicate and make that emotional connection. Without that, it can exacerbate anxiety, depression, agitation, and other behavioral symptoms associated with dementia.
The tips below are as vital a part of dementia care as all of the rest. This helpful guide can ensure caregivers and nurses give their absolute best care to their dementia patients, so they can live fulfilling lives.
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Speak Clear And Concise Not Loud
Speaking louder doesnt mean theyre going to listen better. In the case of dementia, loud voices and noises may actually be interpreted as a sign of aggression and could trigger some anxiety and agitation within them.
So if they arent hearing you, or arent listening to what youre saying, try to say it clearly, in a low but stern voice, without raising the volume. Clear, concise, and consistent communication will come across more than yelling ever will.
Dont Just Yell At Them
Because not everyone with dementia has hearing loss, employing a loud tone may make them feel as though youre shouting at them. To begin a discussion with someone, use a clear, natural tone of voice.
You can raise your volume if the person doesnt answer or if you notice they have difficulty in hearing. If one has a hearing impairment, speaking in a lower tone little lower register might also prove beneficial.
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Make It Clear You Are Listening
It is important that the person with dementia can see you are listening with your full attention. There are numerous ways to demonstrate an attentive ear.
One way is to maintain eye contact. This demonstrates that you care what is being said, and that you are not engaged with another task at the same time.
Another way is to invite them into the conversation. Especially in contexts with more than two conversants, it can be harder for people with dementia to enter the conversation. Giving a direct indication to speak can encourage the person living with dementia that others are listening.
Caregiving In The Early Stages Of Alzheimers Or Dementia
In the early stages of Alzheimers disease or another type of dementia, your loved one may not need much caregiving assistance. Rather, your role initially may be to help them come to terms with their diagnosis, plan for the future, and stay as active, healthy, and engaged as possible.
Accept the diagnosis. Accepting a dementia diagnosis can be just as difficult for family members as it for the patient. Allow yourself and your loved one time to process the news, transition to the new situation, and grieve your losses. But dont let denial prevent you from seeking early intervention.
Deal with conflicting emotions. Feelings of anger, frustration, disbelief, grief, denial, and fear are common in the early stages of Alzheimers or dementiafor both the patient and you, the caregiver. Let your loved one express what theyre feeling and encourage them to continue pursuing activities that add meaning and purpose to their life. To deal with your own fears, doubts, and sadness, find others you can confide in.
Make use of available resources. There are a wealth of community and online resources to help you provide effective care on this journey. Start by finding the Alzheimers Association in your country . These organizations offer practical support, helplines, advice, and training for caregivers and their families. They can also put you in touch with local support groups.
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Stay Level With Them To Maintain Eye Contact
Ensure they know you are speaking directly to them and gain their full attention. If you have to, get down to eye level if theyre in a wheelchair and make direct eye contact. This lets them know that you are speaking right to them, and they must pay attention. And because older individuals may also have issues hearing or seeing, this ensures you can get their full undivided attention, and they can intently listen.
Helping A Person Who Is Aware Of Memory Loss
Alzheimers disease is being diagnosed at earlier stages. This means that many people are aware of how the disease is affecting their memory. Here are tips on how to help someone who knows that he or she has memory problems:
- Take time to listen. The person may want to talk about the changes he or she is noticing.
- Be as sensitive as you can. Don’t just correct the person every time he or she forgets something or says something odd. Try to understand that it’s a struggle for the person to communicate.
- Be patient when someone with Alzheimer’s disease has trouble finding the right words or putting feelings into words.
- Help the person find words to express thoughts and feelings. But be careful not to put words in the persons mouth or fill in the blanks too quickly. For example, Mrs. D cried after forgetting her garden club meeting. She finally said, “I wish they stopped.” Her daughter said, “You wish your friends had stopped by for you.” Mrs. D nodded and repeated some of the words. Then Mrs. D said, “I want to go.” Her daughter said, “You want to go to the garden club meeting.” Again, Mrs. D nodded and repeated the words.
- Be aware of nonverbal communication. As people lose the ability to talk clearly, they may rely on other ways to communicate their thoughts and feelings. For example, their facial expressions may show sadness, anger, or frustration. Grasping at their undergarments may tell you they need to use the bathroom.
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Dont Talk Down To Them
Caregivers and/or family members should never talk down to the individual with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s, and this especially includes baby talk, which doesn’t work neurologically . The fact that the patient and/or loved one is having problems with language does not mean that talking to them like a four-year-old is going to help. The communication style should still be to a respected, older adult.
Focus On The Present Moment
Its a natural conversational reflex to talk about the past, but this has its obvious challenges for someone with Alzheimers disease.
While everyone is different, memory loss in Alzheimers disease does follow a pattern.
According to the Alzheimers Association, short-term memory loss of newly learned information is a feature of early Alzheimers. As the disease progresses, long-term memories such as important past events, dates, and relationships may be affected too.
As my grandmas disease progressed, I noticed that if I asked her what she did that day or what she had for lunch, she would say I dont know. This often resulted in her getting uncomfortable and confused.
I knew that I had to change our conversation topics.
Now I try to focus on the present moment. Ill describe my surroundings and ask her to describe hers. I tell her what the weather is like where I am and ask her to look out her window and tell me about the weather there.
Focusing on sensory experiences, like the weather, what youre wearing, or even if you feel hot or cold helps keep conversation in the present.
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Common Alzheimer’s & Dementia Warning Signs
Neurologist Anelyssa D’Abreu, MD, shares that dementia is an umbrella term for any disorder that leads to a decline in brain function. Alzheimer’s is the most common, along with frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia.
With these different types, patients may show different symptoms. The most common is short-term memory loss. Examples are sharing the same story multiple times, leaving the stove on, or misplacing objects.
Changes in behavior or personality can also be an early symptom of dementia. Some even experience changes in food preferences. A few screening tests can determine if a neurologist needs to diagnose your loved one.
How To Talk To Someone With Alzheimers Disease
Have you ever tried to talk to someone with Alzheimers disease and ended up feeling awkward or frustrated? Communicating with someone with Alzheimers disease can be challenging especially if the diseases has progressed to advanced stages.
Alzheimers disease usually attacks the brain in a way that it makes it difficult for the affected person to communicate effectively as well as remember past events. This is challenging especially for caregivers because they have to adjust the way they communicate to their loved ones. The good news is that there are effective ways for dementia caregivers to communicate with loved ones impacted by this disease, as discussed below.
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Preserving Your Loved Ones Independence
Take steps to slow the progression of symptoms. While treatments are available for some symptoms, lifestyle changes can also be effective weapons in slowing down the diseases progression. Exercising, eating and sleeping well, managing stress, and staying mentally and socially active are among the steps that can improve brain health and slow the process of deterioration. Making healthy lifestyle changes alongside your loved one can also help protect your own health and counter the stress of caregiving.
Help with short-term memory loss. In the early stages, your loved one may need prompts or reminders to help them remember appointments, recall words or names, keep track of medications, or manage bills and money, for example. To help your loved one maintain their independence, instead of simply taking over every task yourself, try to work together as a partnership. Let your loved one indicate when they want help remembering a word, for example, or agree to check their calculations before paying bills. Encourage them to use a notebook or smartphone to create reminders to keep on hand.
The Challenges And Rewards Of Alzheimers Care
Caring for a person with Alzheimers disease or dementia can often seem to be a series of grief experiences as you watch your loved ones memories disappear and skills erode. The person with dementia will change and behave in different, sometimes disturbing or upsetting ways. For both caregivers and their patients, these changes can produce an emotional wallop of confusion, frustration, and sadness.
As the disease advances through the different stages, your loved ones needs increase, your caregiving and financial responsibilities become more challenging, and the fatigue, stress, and isolation can become overwhelming. At the same time, the ability of your loved one to show appreciation for all your hard work only diminishes. Caregiving can literally seem like a thankless task.
For many, though, a caregivers journey includes not only huge challenges, but also many rich, life-affirming rewards.
Caregiving is a pure expression of love. Caring for a person with Alzheimers or dementia connects you on a deeper level. If you were already close, it can bring you closer. If you werent close before, it can help you resolve differences, find forgiveness, and build new, warmer memories with your family member.
Caregiving can teach younger family members the importance of caring, compassion, and acceptance. Caregiving for someone with dementia is such a selfless act. Despite the stress, demands, and heartache, it can bring out the best in us to serve as role models for our children.
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No one can legally be forced into a skilled nursing facility unless it has been demonstrated that the person is unable to care for themselves safely, and/or that they require continuous nursing care, and/or that home care is not a viable option and/or that there are no other alternative housing environments for …
Cope With Changes In Communication
As your loved ones Alzheimers or dementia progresses, youll notice changes in how they communicate. They may have trouble finding words, substitute one word for another, repeat the same things over and over, or become easily confused. Increased hand gestures, losing their train of thought, and even inappropriate outbursts are all common as well.
Even if your loved one has trouble maintaining a conversationor less interest in starting oneits important to encourage social interaction. Making them feel safe rather than stressed will make communication easier, so try to manage your own frustration levels.
Be patient. If your loved one has difficulty recalling a word, for example, allow them time. Getting anxious or impatient will only inhibit their recall. Gently supply the word or tell the person that you can come back to it later.
Be aware of your body language. Your loved one responds to your facial expression, tone of voice, and nonverbal cues as much as the words you choose. Make eye contact, stay calm, and keep a relaxed, open posture.
Speak slowly and clearly. Give one direction or ask one question at a time, use short sentences, and give your loved one more time to process whats being said. Find a simpler way to say the same thing if it wasnt understood the first time.
Maintain respect. Dont use patronizing language, baby talk, or sarcasm. It can cause hurt or confusion.
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Just Releasedwebinar Recordings Available To Rent For 90 Days 1199
The Alzheimers Show Digital Hub brings a series of practical online presentations on a wide range of topics relevant to anyone affected by Alzheimers and dementia. These sessions will provide you with a better understanding of dementia to help you support those you care for and make a positive difference, whether youre a carer, family member, care provider or health professional.
Selected from our recent webinars, each series has six 30-40 minute videos all of which are packed with useful advice and practical tips from carefully selected dementia experts and specialists. Professionals can use them as part of their CPD. Click on the videos below to play trailers of each series.
Tips For Communicating With A Person Who Has Alzheimers Disease
Kathleen Allen, LCSW, C-ASWCM
Senior Care Management Services, LLC
Learn helpful communication tips for visiting someone with dementia, or communicating with them by phone or video chat.
Have you ever tried to communicate with someone with Alzheimers disease and ended feeling awkward and frustrated? Did you get stuck without having anything to talk about? Was this a once conversant and articulate person you now have difficulty engaging?
Communicating with someone who has Alzheimers disease, though challenging, is achievable. But because the disease affects the brain in ways that make communication difficult, we need to keep in mind some guidelines to facilitate the best possible communication. Below I will address communication when you are visiting someone with dementia, and then I will address non-visit communication, such as by phone or video chat.
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How To Talk To Someone With Dementia
Communication is important for human connection. It allows us to express who we are, what we want, and relate to one another.
The symptoms of Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia directly affect communication. Dementia is a progressive illness. Over time, people living with Alzheimers or dementia may struggle to remember basic facts like names, dates, and places.
This means that misunderstandings between people with dementia and those without dementia are common. This can lead to confusion and frustration, and lead both parties to feel overwhelmed. This is especially true when the relationship is between family members or friends who have communicated with ease in the past.
That said, communicating with dementia patients is possible, albeit via a slightly different approach than that to which most are accustomed. With the right combination of good listening skills, refined verbal communication, and close attention to nonverbal communication strategies, it is possible to improve communication.
Dont Put Off The Conversation
Drew encourages families to have a talk about Alzheimers symptoms and plan for care as early as possible even before a family member exhibits signs of the disease.
But even when someone is already in the early stages of Alzheimers, they may still be able to express their wishes and have a voice in their future care.
I have never had a family come to me and say, Weve talked about this too soon, says Drew. Its always the reverse. They always wish they had done these things at the beginning instead of waiting. In some cases, families wait too long to put things in order and have conversations when a person is still well enough to let you know what his or her preferences are.
Furthermore, the sooner people get medical advice about potential Alzheimers symptoms, the better.
Early signs can indicate Alzheimers, or maybe its something different, says Drew. It may be something that is very treatable and curable.
Although there are no treatments to cure Alzheimers or stop it from progressing, some medication can help decrease symptoms for a limited time.
Some medications seem to work better the earlier people start them, so there is that benefit, says Drew.
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