Listening

Communication Strategies for Dementia

Great blog post from A Place for Mom about communication strategies for Dementia. 

Here are the top ten tips listed in the article: 

 

Here are 10 tips on how to effectively communicate with someone who has moderate to severe dementia.

  1. Recognize what you’re up against. Dementia inevitably gets worse with time. People with dementia will gradually have a more difficult time understanding others, as well as communicating in general.
  2. Avoid distractions. Try to find a place and time to talk when there aren’t a lot of distractions present. This allows your loved one to focus all their mental energy on the conversation.
  3. Speak clearly and naturally in a warm and calm voice. Refrain from ‘babytalk’ or any other kind of condescension.
  4. Refer to people by their names. Avoid pronouns like “he,” “she,” and “they” during conversation. Names are also important when greeting a loved one with dementia. For example: “Hi, Grandma.  It’s me, Jeff,” is to be preferred over, “Hi. It’s me.”
  5. Talk about one thing at a time. Someone with dementia may not be able to engage in the mental juggling involved in maintaining a conversation with multiple threads.
  6. Use nonverbal cues. For example, maintain eye contact and smile. This helps put your loved one at ease and will facilitate understanding. And when dementia is very advanced, nonverbal communication may be the only option available.
  7. Listen actively. If you don’t understand something your loved one is telling you, politely let them know.
  8. Don’t quibble. Your conversations are not likely to go very far if you try to correct every inaccurate statement your loved one makes. It’s okay to let delusions and misstatements go.
  9. Have patience. Give your loved one extra time to process what you say. If you ask a question, give a moment to respond. Don’t let frustration get the better of you.
  10. Understand there will be good days and bad days. While the general trend of dementia sufferers is a downward decline, people with dementia will have ups and downs just like anyone else.

Read the full article here: 

http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/communication-with-a-loved-one-with-dementia/

Dr. Bill Dalziel, Ottawa’s leading geriatric physician: 

“I am a practicing Geriatric Medicine Specialist with a focus on Dementia care. I have been involved with Embassy West in Ottawa for almost a decade as a clinical consultant, a staff educator, a consultant for residents and families, and as Chair of the EWSL Advisory Board which is a group committed to optimizing residential care for seniors with dementia. Embassy West was one of the first retirement residences in Ottawa to focus on activities programming and maximizing quality of life for seniors with Dementia. I am always impressed by the Embassy West team because at all levels of management from the owner to the manager to the front-line staff they are skilled, educated, and dedicated to providing the best care for their residents.”