 Communication
Understanding the Best Ways to Interact with the Person with Dementia Alzheimer's disease and related dementias can gradually diminish a person's ability to communicate. Not only do people with dementia have more difficulty expressing thoughts and emotions, they also have more trouble understanding others. The ability to exchange our ideas, wishes and feelings is a basic need.
To help the person communicate:
Be patient and supportive
Let the person know you're listening and trying to understand what is being said. Show your interest
Keep good eye contact. Show the person that you care about what is being said. Offer comfort and reassurance
If he or she is having trouble communicating, let the person know that it's okay. Encourage the person to continue to explain his or her thoughts.
Give the person time Let the person think about and describe whatever he or she wants to. Be careful not to interrupt. Avoid criticizing or correcting Don't tell the person what he or she is saying is incorrect. Instead, listen and try to find the meaning in what is being said. Repeat what was said, if it helps to clarify the thought. Avoid Arguing
If the person says something you don't agree with, let it be. Arguing usually only makes things worse. Offer a guess If the person uses the wrong word or cannot find a word, try guessing the right one. If you understand what the person means you may not need to give the correct word. Be careful not to cause unnecessary frustration.
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 Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
Know the Basics
Scientists think that up to 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). About 3 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have AD, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia (a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities) among older people. It involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Every day scientists learn more, but right now the causes of AD are still unknown, and there is no cure. Scientists also have found other brain changes in people with AD. There is a loss of nerve cells in areas of the brain that are vital to memory and other mental abilities. There also are lower levels of chemicals in the brain that carry complex messages back and forth between nerve cells. AD may disrupt normal thinking and memory by blocking these messages between nerve cells. What is Dementia? The term "dementia" describes a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates. Dementia is caused by many conditions. Some conditions that cause dementia can be reversed, and others cannot. The two most common forms of dementia in older people are Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia (sometimes called vascular dementia). These types of dementia are irreversible, which means they cannot be cured. Read on to learn more about: Multi-Infarct Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment and treatment options. |
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