We aren’t born knowing how to communicate with persons with dementia but we can learn.
Improving your communication skills will help make caregiving to persons with dementia less stressful. It will even 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 dementia illness.
10 Tips To Communicate With Persons Living With Dementia
1. Set a positive mood for interaction
Your attitude and body language communicate your feelings and thoughts stronger than your words. Set a positive mood by speaking to your loved one pleasantly and respectfully.
Use facial expressions, tone of voice, and physical touch to help convey your message and show your feelings of affection.
2. Get the person’s attention
Limit distractions and noise turn off the radio or TV, close the curtains or shut the door, or move to quieter surroundings. This has a way of setting a conducive tone and does help in handling persons living with dementia.
Before speaking, make sure you have their attention. Address them by name, identify yourself by name and relation, and use nonverbal cues and touch to help keep her focused.
If they are seated, get down to their level and maintain eye contact.
3. State your message clearly
Use simple words and sentences. Speak slowly, distinctly, and in a reassuring tone.
Refrain from raising your voice higher or louder; instead, pitch your voice lower. If the person with dementia doesn’t understand the first time, use the same wording to repeat your message or question.
If they still don’t understand, wait a few minutes and rephrase the question. Use the names of people and places instead of pronouns or abbreviations.
4. Ask simple, answerable questions
Ask one question at a time; those with yes or no answers work best. Refrain from asking open-ended questions or giving too many choices.
For example, ask, “Would you like to wear your white shirt or your blue shirt?” Better still, show her the choices visual prompts and cues also help clarify your question and can guide her response. You will be amazed how much this helps.
5. Listen with your ears, eyes, and heart
Be patient to wait for how persons with dementia reply to your advances and questions.
If they are struggling for an answer, it’s okay to suggest words.
Watch for nonverbal cues and body language, and respond appropriately.
Always strive to listen for the meaning and feelings that underlie the words.
READ ALSO: 9 STEPS TO REVERSE DEMENTIA AND MEMORY LOSS AS YOU AGE
6. Break down activities into a series of steps
If you can learn to master how to break down activities into simple actionable steps, it will make many tasks easily manageable.
You can encourage people with dementia to do what they can.
You should follow up this gesture by gently reminding them of the steps they need to take to accomplish tasks.
Do know that they tend to forget things easily. You should assist with steps they no longer can accomplish on their own.
Using visual cues, such as showing him with your hand where to place the dinner plate, can be very helpful.
7. When the going gets tough, distract and redirect.
When your loved one with dementia becomes upset, try changing the subject or the environment. For example, ask him for help or suggest going for a walk.
It is important to connect with the person on a feeling level before you redirect. You might say, “I see you’re feeling sad—I’m sorry you’re upset. Let’s go get something to eat.”
8. Respond with affection and reassurance
People with dementia often feel confused, anxious, and unsure of themselves.
Furthermore, they often get reality confused and may recall things that never really occurred. Avoid trying to convince them they are wrong.
Stay focused on the feelings they are demonstrating (which are real) and respond with verbal and physical expressions of comfort, support, and reassurance.
Sometimes holding hands, touching, hugging, and praising will get the person to respond when all else fails.
9. Remember the good old days.
Remembering the past is often a soothing and affirming activity. Many people with dementia may not remember what happened 45 minutes ago, but they can clearly recall their lives 45 years earlier.
Therefore, avoid asking questions that rely on short-term memory, such as asking the person what they had for lunch. Instead, try asking general questions about the person’s distant past. This information is more likely to be retained.
10. Maintain your sense of humor
Use humor whenever possible, though not at the person’s expense.
People with dementia tend to retain their social skills and are usually delighted to laugh along with you.
Summary: Tips for Communicating with Persons with Dementia
Persons with dementia have special challenges and as caregivers, we need to master the act of loving them.
Communicating with persons with dementia is a skill that we can learn.
This article already provided ten best tips to take care of persons with dementia and if we master these tips, it will improve our relationships with our loved ones.
Which of these tips do you consider challenging? Do you have thoughts that you would like to share with us? Please kindly drop them in the comment section and we will appreciate it.
Family Caregiver Alliance
– 785 Market Street, Suite 750,
San Francisco, CA 94103 –
(800) 445-8106 –
www.caregiver.org
info@caregiver.org
Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) seeks to improve the quality of life for caregivers through education, services, research, and advocacy.
Through its National Center on Caregiving, FCA offers information on current social, public policy, and caregiving issues and provides assistance in the development of public and private programs for caregivers.
