Ways to Communicate with Your Aging Loved One Who Has Dementia

Communicating with your loved one with memory loss can be challenging. However, you need to rely on communicating with your loved ones at the moment and try not to get frustrated when they forget what you just asked. 

Suppose you have a loved one who is experiencing these or similar complications in their communication skills. In that case, there are many ways that you can help them get back on track with their communication abilities.

Before jumping out with the ways of communicating with your loved one who has dementia, it is essential to know the nature of dementia, its types, and how it can affect your aging loved one’s brain. 

How the Disease Affects your Loved One’s Brain

Dementia is a condition wherein the brain suffers from an impairment or degeneration that causes memory loss and other cognitive challenges. Figuring out the types of dementia can be a challenge. The most recent version of the official diagnostic guide for dementia requires a consensus among experts to classify dementia as one of many different diseases. 

The major types of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and multi-infarct dementia (MID). In addition, there are other more uncommon conditions that people get diagnosed with. Though it is difficult to diagnose all the types, they have specific common symptoms.

Dementia symptoms vary from one person to another, but they all have a similar cause: the brain can’t receive and process information. It is caused by damage, disease of the brain cells, or toxins that can harm the brain. That is why they are showing symptoms of memory loss, confusion, and getting lost. They are also difficult to talk with since they become easily frustrated or angry and may not comprehend what you are saying.

Because there is no cure for dementia, there are many methods that you can use to help your aging loved one communicate with others. This article will provide several suggestions for communicating with your loved ones and the strategies to help them understand what you’re saying. 

Tips on How to Communicate with Elderly Loved One

As being said, it is hard to communicate with someone who has dementia. It may cause you trouble sometimes; your loved one will show stubbornness and refuse any help, which leads you to start feeling angry or frustrated when communicating with your loved ones. Well, emotions are normal, whether it’s good or bad. However, you should never forget that your loved one is no longer the person you know before. So, always mind your emotions and avoid showing them to your aging parents because it might confuse your elderly loved one who has dementia. Instead, go with their emotions and be a good companion. These are some dos and don’ts in communicating with your loved one.

The Don’ts

1. Don’t keep repeating yourself

Sometimes when you communicate with your aging loved one, they will not understand it well the first time, and they may think that you’re ignoring them or being too bossy. To avoid this confusion, don’t repeat yourself over and over again. Instead, give your loved ones more information after a brief pause or give an alternative way to explain what you mean.

2. Don’t belittle them

Aging loved ones become easily discouraged and frustrated, and they become unresponsive because of that. When someone responds negatively to you, it may cause your loved one to feel helpless or helpless. Don’t take their comments as a sign of weakness. Instead, consider their words for what they are.

3. Don’t give your loved one too much attention

Dementia can cause people to become easily frustrated. So, don’t give them a lot of attention and have many talks with them frequently. It will not help them improve their communication but only make them attached to you and focus on you. Instead, give your loved ones what they want, when they want it. Do not overwhelm them with too much information or give complicated advice that they do not need at the moment.

4.Don’t tell your elderly loved one who has dementia that they are crazy

It is a common belief that people with dementia are crazy, but this is only another form of oppression. Instead, pay attention to what they say and think about it carefully before saying anything back to them.

5.Don’t surprise your loved one with an excessive amount of activity

Aging loved ones need more time than you think when it comes to taking care of themselves. So don’t rush them or force them to perform tasks too quickly. It can be overwhelming and confusing. Instead, engage them to try free-failure activities to help them more feel relax and active.

The Do’s

1. Keep the conversation simple

You can’t expect your aging loved one to make sense out of a complex sentence or complex argument. It is best to ask your loved ones questions with a simple yes or no answer or a short, clear response. Avoid bringing up topics that might be controversial or upsetting. It will only confuse your aging parent. The best way to keep the conversation simple is by using single words and sentences in English to communicate with your aging family member who has dementia.

2.Speak slowly and clearly

Aging loved ones need extra time for processing information, and they find it challenging to talk quickly and change topics often. In addition, people who have dementia will have more trouble understanding you if your English is not clear. They’ll also need extra time to reply, so avoid interrupting them. To do this, speak slowly and clearly when communicating with your loved one. For example, use short sentences and repeat yourself when you need to give more information.

3. Be aware of the environment

The condition of their surroundings may limit the amount of communication that you can have with them. Ensure that the room is quiet, take away any distractions, and keep eye contact during the conversation. Even though you must do this, try not to expect too much from them.

4. Inquire about the past

You can’t expect your aging loved one to remember what they had for breakfast, but most of us can remember what we did the day before yesterday. That’s why you should ask simple questions about their past and facts that they are sure about. For example, “Remember when we lived on Elm Street?” or “Do you know that your favorite actor was Brad Pitt?” will make them think and bring back memory lane for them.

5. Help them maintain their independence

Aging loved ones need more help than you think. They need help with grocery shopping, dressing, preparing meals, getting from room to room, and meeting other people. Of course, you don’t have to help them with everything. However, you can create a schedule and give them simple tasks that they can do independently. It is essential because it will give your aging loved one more freedom than they had in the past.

In conclusion, no one can communicate with dementia patients the way they used to, so make every moment counts for you. That being said, you can still try to keep up conversations with your aging loved ones and try to remember some of their words and expressions. If they make a mistake or forget about something, don’t be discouraged and ask them again. It will help them remember what you wanted to ask and build up a better relationship with your loved one who has dementia.