Tips for Communicating with a Person with Dementia

Statistics show that around 50 million people across the world suffer from dementia, with 10 million new cases being diagnosed every single year. It’s a very challenging condition to live with, damaging a person’s memory, affecting their behavior, and impacting their general cognitive abilities quite dramatically, being one of the leading causes of dependency and disability in the elderly.

It’s not just the people who are diagnosed with dementia who suffer from this condition; their loved ones can feel the effects too, and it can be very worrying and depressing to see someone you know and care about gradually lose parts of their memory, change their character, and behave in unexpected and unpredictable ways.

Still, while dementia cannot be cured, it can be controlled. There are various ways for elderly people with this condition to get the care and assistance they need, whether at home with the support of this Dementia Home Care Guide or in assisted living facilities. It’s still perfectly possible for loved ones to communicate with these elderly relatives too, as long as you have the right approach. This guide will cover some top tips to help out.

Get Their Attention

Getting and keeping the attention of someone with dementia can be one of the most challenging aspects of communicating with them. Often, they might be easily distracted by other things or show little to no signs of response when you try to talk to them, but there are a few ways in which you can try to obtain their attention more easily. 

For starters, try to minimize any distractions in the area, which may include things like the TV or radio, and you may also want to shut the door or close windows if there’s any ambient noise that might disrupt your conversation. Make sure to address the individual by name and make use of touch and contact to alert them to your presence.

Create a Positive Vibe

As stated earlier, many people feel sad and concerned when speaking to a person with dementia, but you have to do your best to try and mask those feelings in order to establish effective communication. Try to approach the person in a more positive way, giving off positive vibes that can help to create a pleasant atmosphere for all.

Remember the importance of body language and tone of speech. Smile and make use of positive gestures to set the tone, and try to keep your voice clear and pleasant, without any signs of worry or sadness like sighing and shaking your head. This type of positivity is especially important in tips for celebrating birthdays for someone with dementia.

Be Clear and Concise

When you’re speaking with someone who has dementia, it’s important to adjust and adapt your approach accordingly. You have to accept that you can’t speak to them in the same way as you might have done in the past, expecting them to understand long-winded anecdotes or complex sentences and phrases as they did before.

Your level of speech needs to be reduced, with simpler words, shorter sentences, and more phrases that get to the point of what you want to say. Try to be very clear and concise in the words you choose, speaking slowly and distinctly in order to give yourself the best chance of being understood, and don’t get frustrated if you need to repeat yourself or choose simpler words if the message isn’t getting through.

Talk About the Past

Finding a subject of discussion for a person with dementia can be a challenge, but there’s one thing that a lot of patients can actually remember and talk about quite extensively: the past. Even though an individual with dementia might forget things that happened mere moments ago, many of them have persistent memories of events from their childhood or youth.

Try to make the most of this by asking questions or bringing up topics from long ago, as this will give you a better chance of getting a discussion going and even potentially hearing your beloved relative tell stories and share memories they might not have told you about before. In contrast, try to avoid asking or talking about things that rely on their short-term memory.

It can be very distressing to see a loved one deal with the damage of dementia, but you can still share happy moments and provide them with the company they need for the best possible quality of life. Hopefully, these tips can help you enjoy better conversations with your elderly relatives and friends in the future.