| I was my mother's family caregiver for nine | | | | the dog's antics. |
| years. Her dementia was caused by a stroke. | | | | 6. Use a moderate pitch. A high voice may be |
| Doctors used to think stroke damage ended | | | | interpreted as panic and a low voice may sound |
| shortly after the event. Recent research, | | | | threatening. So set your voice to a moderate |
| however, shows that stroke damage may | | | | pitch. |
| continue to spread in the brain, and that is what | | | | 7. Stick to one point. Patients in the middle and |
| happened to my mother. She lost the ability to | | | | final stages of the disease cannot keep track of |
| retrieve words, understand numbers (she | | | | several ideas. Stick to one point and remind the |
| reversed digits), create meaningful sentences, and | | | | person of it, such as "I am taking you to the |
| read. | | | | dentist." |
| It was all so sad. Our conversations became | | | | 8. Use simple words. Large words, especially those |
| confrontations and talking with my mother taxed | | | | that describe abstract ideas, are lost on those |
| my patience. I read medical articles and books | | | | with memory disease. Choose simple words and |
| about communicating with Alzheimer's patients. | | | | keep your sentences short. |
| These are the communication tips I used and | | | | 9. Don't fill in the blanks. Word retrieval is a |
| they could help you. | | | | struggle for someone with Alzheimer's. Still, they |
| 1. Choose the time. If the person is most alert in | | | | may be aware of their forgetfulness. Do not fill in |
| the morning, this is the best time to talk with him | | | | the blank if conversation wanes or the person |
| or her. Avoid late afternoon conversations when | | | | says, "I can't remember the word." |
| Alzheimer's patients become confused and | | | | 10. Offer a beverage. Aging people and those with |
| anxious. | | | | Alzheimer's tend to lose their sense of thirst. |
| 2. Pick a quiet place. Background noise hinders | | | | Speaking is difficult when you have a dry mouth. |
| communication, so turn off the television and | | | | Offering the person a drink of water or juice will |
| radio. Move to another room if others are talking | | | | hydrate them and give them a break from |
| loudly or yelling. | | | | conversation. |
| 3. Check hearing aid. Put a new battery in the | | | | 11. Delete the editorial "we." Though "we" only has |
| hearing aid if the person is having difficulty hearing | | | | two letters, it can be an insulting word for those |
| you. Make sure the person is wearing the aid | | | | with Alzheimer's. One day, when I visited my |
| properly. | | | | mother in nursing care, I heard a staff person |
| 4. Approach from the front. Never approach an | | | | say, "We are going to take a bath," an inaccurate |
| Alzheimer's patient from the back because this is | | | | sentence. |
| frightening. Make eye contact with the person as | | | | 12. Prepare for anger. When my mother became |
| you speak. | | | | angry I would pat her hand, give her a hug, or |
| 5. Tell a story. One of the best ways to prompt | | | | say "I love you." Changing the subject also helped |
| conversation is to tell a story from the past. You | | | | to quell her anger. |
| may talk about a family reunion, for example, or | | | | |