Communicating with Alzhemier's Patients
Communicating with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer’s
When a person you love has Alzheimer’s disease, sometimes communication between the both of you can be difficult. As the disease progresses, the person’s ability to speak and understand words decreases also. But communication is still possible through non-verbal communication which is communicating using body language, facial expressions and tone of voice. How you, as a caregiver, communicate with your loved one both verbally and non-verbally is important additionally for your senior’s happiness.
How to enhance your interactions
One thing to keep in mind is that the mix of emotions that a person with Alzheimer’s has may range from anxiousness, irritability, confusion, low self-esteem and depression. So, when you speak use a slow, friendly and clear tone of voice to prevent a bad reaction. Also, be aware that your body will speak for you, and your loved one can read it. So, you may be telling your senior that everything is okay, but if your body is tense this will say the opposite. Your loved one may react to your body language then, not your voice and become upset.
Using visual cues is another way to communicate. So, you could tell the person that you’re going to be brushing his or her hair by pointing to the brush and making brushing movements with it. In addition, make sure that the person can see and hear you when communicating. If the loved one wears hearing aids, be sure that they are in the ears. If glasses are worn, be sure that the glasses are close at hand or place them gently on the face.
Importantly also, when you’re talking, make sure that there aren’t any distractions either and that the environment is quiet. In addition, make sure that you approach the person from the front. Because if your loved one doesn’t know that you’re there, then a touch from you that’s unexpected may cause fright or be startling. Furthermore, speak the person’s name to get his or her attention and maintain eye contact.
If you’re asking a question, only ask one at a time. Wait for an answer; if the person doesn’t answer or seem to understand, then repeat the question. Use the same phrasing, if there still isn’t a response, ask the question again, but rephrase it this time.
When performing tasks with the person, break them down into easy steps. Explain each step and what to do. If you give too many instructions at one time though, or too fast, the person may become confused. If the person becomes upset or uncooperative, stop the task also and try again later after the person is calm.
Behavior management is hand in hand with communication.
If your loved one is acting out, try to figure out what is setting this off. Go over anything that you think might have caused it or triggered the behavior. Consider if the person needs to go to the bathroom, is cold or hungry or maybe that there is some kind of pain. Don’t overlook dental issues. Once you know what caused the behavior then you can use the correct communication.
If the person is upset, offer comfort and reassurance. A gentle touch of the hand or a hug may go a long way in settling the loved one down. Or you can provide a distraction by changing the topic. The key is that the topic should be pleasant for the person. It could be a familiar family story that the person loves to hear or talk about. Or it could be about a favorite book or a pleasant pastime that your senior enjoys.
Dementia does get worse over time, not better. But communicating with body language and clear interactions will help everyone involved.