How to communicate with those who have dementia.
Those who have witnessed dementia know how amazing some interactions can be and the brilliant stories and discussions that can occur. However, there is a darker side of dementia which can make the individual irritable and forgetful which can be frustrating for all involved. There are some techniques and ways of speaking to keep in mind to help not only you understand the individual but also for them to be able to communicate with you.
Those who have witnessed dementia know how amazing some interactions can be and the brilliant stories and discussions that can occur. However, there is a darker side of dementia which can make the individual irritable and forgetful which can be frustrating for all involved. There are some techniques and ways of speaking to keep in mind to help not only you understand the individual but also for them to be able to communicate with you.
Our top tips:
We hope these tips help you when trying to communicate with someone who has dementia. This is just a simple guide as dementia is different with each person and they can have different triggers that can cause distress. It’s important to take your time to learn how the individual communicates and how they prefer to be spoken to. How an individual communicates may now be very different to how they were before dementia, and this is one of the hardest changes for relatives to deal with. It’s an ongoing process and could possibly change at any time, if patience is kept in mind, then the hurdles will become easier to overcome.