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Tips
on Improving Communication |
|
There are at least 10 Warning Signs for Alzheimer's disease and two of the most common ones are problems with short term memory (memory for things just said or done) and trouble communicating.
Everyone has difficulty thinking of the right word now and then, but a person with Alzheimer's disease may forget the word for simple, commonplace objects or substitute words that don’t fit, making it difficult to follow his/her conversation. People with Alzheimer's disease have trouble understanding incoming information and struggle with expressing themselves.
Communication is the act of sending and receiving messages. The Alzheimer Society Of Saskatchewan gave us lots of tips we can use with our grandmother to cut down on language problems. Study these tips and try them out. If you do, you’ll have an easier time getting your message across and figuring out what your family member with Alzheimer's disease is trying to say.
- Face the person and look them in the eyes
-
If
possible be at their level (e.g., both of you sitting down facing each
other)
Touch an arm or a hand gently to get the person’s attention
- It’s a good idea to call the person
by name, to say who you are, and why you’re there
- Speak slowly, clearly, and in a normal voice
- Use short, simple sentences when talking
but not ‘baby talk’
- If you have to repeat something you said
or asked, use the same words. If you change the words, the person might
think that you’re saying or asking something new or different.
- Ask questions that the person won’t
have trouble answering. “Would you like to go for a walk Grandma?”
is a much simpler question for her to answer than “Where should
we go for a walk?”
- Give the person lots of time to answer
People with Alzheimer's disease have problems focusing. If there are lots
of noises in the environment (e.g., radio or television) turn them down
or off so the person only has you to focus on.
- If you don’t know what the person is
trying to tell you in words, try to figure out the feelings behind what
is being said. Look for clues in the environment.
- Be calm, gentle, and relaxed and you’ll
most certainly put the person at ease
Try
humour
- Show the person that they’re still important
to you by giving them hugs and attention
- If the person repeats things and asks the same question over and over, remain calm and cool. The disease is responsible for the person’s behaviour and she/he has no memory for either asking the question or the response that was given.
Supplement
what you’re saying with visual cues. For example, if you want
the person to look at birds outside the window, point at them.
- Holding the person’s hand or smiling when talking to the person can say a lot more than words alone
