Ten
Tips for Communicating with Alzheimer’s Patient
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Ever feel like your loved one is ignoring you or that you just weren’t getting through to your loved one? Try some of these tips to see if they help.
Tips for communicating with a mid-stage (or later) Alzheimer’s patients.
1.
Make eye contact. Always approach them
face-to-face and make eye contact. Use their name if you need to. It is vital
that they actually see you and that their attention is focused on you. Read
their eyes. Always approach from the front as approaching and speaking from the
side or from behind can startle them.
2.
Be at their level. Move your head to be at the
same level as their head. Bend your knees or sit down to reach their level. Do
not stand or hover over them – it is intimidating and scary. They can’t focus
on you and what you are saying if they are focused on their fear.
3.
Tell them what you are going to do before you do it. Particularly if you are
going to touch them. They need to know what is coming first so that they don’t
think that you are grabbing them.
4.
Speak calmly. Always speak in a calm manner
with an upbeat tone of voice, even if you don’t feel that way. If you sound
angry or agitated, they will often mirror that feeling back to you and then
some.
5.
Speak slowly. Speak at one half of your normal
speed when talking to them. Take a breath between each sentence. They can not
process words as fast as non-diseased people can. Give them a chance to catch
up to your words.
6.
Speak in short sentences. Speak in short direct sentences
with only one idea to a sentence. Usually they can only focus on only one idea
at a time.
7.
Only ask one question at a time. Let them answer it
before you ask another question. You can ask who, what, where and when, but NOT
why. Why is too complicated. They will try to answer, fail and get frustrated.
8.
Don’t say “remember”. Many times they will not be
able to do so, and you are just pointing out to them their shortcomings. That
is insulting, and can cause anger and/or embarrassment.
9.
Turn negatives into positives. For example say “Let’s go here”
instead of “Don’t go there”. Be inclusive and don’t talking down to them as if
they were a child. Respect the fact that they are an adult, and treat them as
such.
10.
Do not argue with them. It gets you nowhere. Instead, validate
their feelings, by saying” I see that you are angry (sad, upset, etc…). It lets
them know that they are not alone and then redirect them into another thought.
For example “It sounds like you miss your mother (husband, father, etc…). You
love them very much, don’t you? Tell me about the time…” Then ask for one of
their favorite stories about that person).
RLC
No comments:
Post a Comment