Communication is critical for everyone. There are two main forms of communication – verbal (the things we say) and non-verbal (gestures, touch and body language). This feature focuses on the verbal form of communication and will provide you with some practical tips on how to help a person with dementia.
Here are few tips which will allow you to navigate the often murky waters of dementia communication :
- Keep a positive attitude. Seeing your loved one in such decline is quite distressing. Prepare yourself ahead of time. Educate yourself on what to expect. Make sure you have plenty of support from friends, mentors, or therapists.
- Avoid distractions. Keep the environment distraction free. If you are trying to have a conversation, make sure to eliminate noise and other distraction. Stay in their line of vision making it easy to focus on you.
- Keep it simple. Use easy to understand language. Don’t ask a lot of question as even a “How are you?” can be confusing. Avoid sarcasm or irony. Talk about what they know and are most familiar with. Try not to belabour subjects that seem confusing and be quick to move on or redirect when you encounter confusion or agitation.
- Be willing to repeat. Whether it’s because they didn’t hear you properly, are taking longer to process your words, or simply did not underhand you the first time, repetition is to be expected. Avoid being frustrated by its inevitability and simply repeat or rephrase.
- Be respectful. While their behaviour may seem childlike, we must remember that we are communicating with an adult. Keep your tone respectful and friendly and avoid childish phrases.
Watch out the next post for more tips.
Reference : https://i.pinimg.com/originals/87/fa/49/87fa493368ae4437ec7f4f31f8c67bd2.jpg
I watched a great documentary in which a care home and one lady at home with her dad were approaching head on, making eye contact and being clear. Improvement were evident.
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Alzheimer’s disease progressively destroys brain cells over time, so during the early stages of dementia, many do recognize something is wrong, but not everyone is aware. They may know they are supposed to recognize you, but they can’t.
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The documentary was interesting, covered a load with studies being shown in action. It was on NHK. The people were elderly and all involved communicate better upon changing the approach, an elderly lady who was previously very distressed was now more relaxed, could now respond to questions and do small things for herself like brushing her hair and if I remember right, the dad knew his daughter was his daughter when previously the family had no idea what he still recalled.😢
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😳
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Thank you for the reblog
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Always a pleasure to read and share your posts with followers, My Dear!!
😊💕🌹✨
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🙂
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Thank you for sharing
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Thanks so much for the info. It can really help a lot of us who are dealing with this issue. Blessings and Peace.
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Most welcome. I am glad you found the article useful.
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Good advice. My Dad that has dementia definitely had an issue with surrounding noise and couldn’t be in groups later on.
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Caring for a loved one with dementia poses many challenges for families and caregivers. We aren’t born knowing how to communicate with a person with dementia—but we can learn. Improving your communication skills will help make caregiving less stressful and will likely improve the quality of your relationship with your loved one. Good communication skills will also enhance your ability to handle the difficult behavior you may encounter as you care for a person with a dementing illness.
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