Communicating with a Loved One Suffering From Dementia

People with dementia have progressive brain disorder that makes it hard for them to carry- out daily activities, remember things, communicate with others, and take care of themselves. For caregivers and caretakers, caring for them comes with multiple challenges. Often, those challenges escalate when dementia results in behavioral changes as in the case of Sundowning wherein people with dementia tend to get mood swings as the day progresses.

If your parents have dementia, are looking for ways how to care for your parents. This article is going to cover tips that can help you communicate with a loved one with dementia. Let’s look at some of them:

Set a positive mood for interaction

It’s said that your body language and attitude communicate your thoughts and feelings more strongly than your words. Caretakers and caregivers of parents and spouse should create a positive environment by communicating in a friendly and respectful manner. Use facial expressions, physical touch, tone of voice and other nonverbal cues to show your feelings of affection and convey your message to them.

Get their attention

Before interacting with a loved one with dementia, ensure that you have their attention. Turn off the TV or radio, close the curtains, limit distractions and noise, and move to quiet surroundings. When interacting, use nonverbal cues to maintain their focus on you. Also, maintain eye contact to keep their attention.

State your message clearly

The most important part of communicating with parents with dementia is stating your message clearly. To do so, use simple and short sentences, speak slowly and distinctly, and in a pleasant tone. If they don’t get you the first time, repeat your message. Avoid raising your voice even if they don’t understand what you are speaking.

Ask simple questions

One of the tips on how to care for your parents is to ask only those questions that can be answered with a yes or no. also, try limiting your questions and ask one question at a time.

Listen carefully

No matter how much time your parent takes to respond to your question, be patient and listen with your ears, eyes, and heart. People with dementia generally struggle to respond and take time to appropriately convey their message. As a caregiver of parent or spouse, you need to listen to their feelings and meanings in their words and nonverbal cues.

Caring for loved ones with dementia is no easy feat. However, you can significantly provide them with the special care they need with the aforementioned tips and deal with the troubling behavioral problems and communications challenges.

Author’s Bio: The author is a blogger and this article is about Tips for Communicating with a Loved One With Dementia.