How To Communicate With People With Dementia

Communicating with people with dementia can sometimes be quite difficult. It is possible that you know this reality because there is someone in your family with this pathology and it is difficult for you to establish communication with them.

People in a situation of dependency constitute a heterogeneous population group, which includes different problems. Under this generic name, groups with different etiologies and care needs are encompassed.

Within these groups we can cite, for example, people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. People with severe mental illness, Parkinson’s disease, rare diseases or people with brain damage may also be in a situation of dependency. In this article we will focus on Alzheimer’s disease.

What do we understand by dementia?

There are different diagnostic criteria to include or exclude a patient in a category such as dementia. The most widely used diagnostic criteria are those of the DSM-IV and the ICD-10. The former are more oriented to the clinical diagnosis and the latter to the epidemiological study (García and Olazarán, 2000).

The DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for dementia are as follows:

• Development of multiple cognitive deficits that are manifested by:
  • Memory impairment (impaired ability to learn new information or recall previously learned information).
  • One or more of the following cognitive impairments:
    • Aphasia.
    • Apraxia
    • Agnosia
    • Impaired executive function (ability to think abstractly and to plan, initiate, sequence, monitor, and stop complex behavior).
• The cognitive effects of the above criteria must be severe enough to cause a significant impairment of social or work activity.
• These items represent a deficit compared to a previous level.

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, a general term to describe problems with memory and other mental functions. It is a brain disease that affects people’s ability to remember, reason, and communicate.

Dementia was previously known as “senility” and was believed to be a normal sign of aging. We now know that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are not a normal part of aging.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes changes in the areas of the brain that control memory and reasoning. This is the reason why people with Alzheimer’s have problems with their daily lives. Because of this, communicating with people with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, can sometimes become a real ordeal.

Currently, Alzheimer’s disease has no cure. However, with proper care, most people with Alzheimer’s can live for many years. This disease tends to affect people over 65, although it can also occur in young people over 40.

Communicate with people with dementia

Alzheimer’s disease makes it difficult for your loved one to understand and make himself understood and to act in a way that can upset or frustrate you. It must be remembered that this is due to the disease and that the patient does not do it on purpose.

Communicating with people with dementia can sometimes be a real challenge and test our patience. Therefore, it is important to learn to handle the different situations that may arise and prevent them from getting worse.

Strategies to improve communication

These people have trouble understanding the meaning of what is being said. However, they are very sensitive to the way they are said. An agitated tone can annoy you. A calm tone can comfort you. Keep your voice as positive as possible.

Avoid arguing about reality

Your loved one may be confused with reality and not be able to separate the past from the present. He might even forget who you are. This can be annoying, but don’t insist on your version of reality. This will only cause more confusion and tension.

For example, instead of saying “you can’t call your dad, he’s been dead for several years,” try saying “I’m sure he’s not home now. Call him later. “

Reassures

Your loved one may repeat the same question multiple times, which can be very upsetting. Try to understand why he is asking the question. For example, the person may be worried about getting to an appointment or not being taken.

Instead of saying “I just told you that your date is at two in the afternoon!”, Try saying “don’t worry, I’m going to go too and I won’t go without you”.

Use distraction

The person with dementia may try to do something that is not safe, such as leave the house alone. Arguing about this can make the situation worse. Instead, try to distract him with something else. You will soon forget what you had planned to do.

To communicate effectively with people with dementia, we often have to change the message. For example, instead of saying “Where do you think you are going? You can’t go out alone, “he tries to say, ” before you go, could you help me with this for a couple of minutes? “

Communicating with people with dementia requires a great deal of patience and often causes a lot of psychological wear and tear. Also find a way to have regular breaks. Sometimes you may feel anger, frustration, fear, or resentment. Relax, all those feelings are normal.