Speech-language pathologists
Communication is an area that often leads to frustration and anger for both caregiver and loved one.
“Caregivers need to reduce the complexity of the communication because the person with the disease can’t process it. We help them change the communication approach, like counting to five before repeating a question,” Piersol says. “It’s how you say it and then giving the person time to respond.”
Speech-language pathologists (SLP) are experts in helping the person with dementia preserve communication and can train family members to improve the processes. If the person has trouble swallowing, an SLP can teach compensatory strategies or help alter the diet so he or she can eat without risk of choking.
Here are some helpful communication strategies for caregivers from the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association:
- Repeat key information to help maintain focus
- Give choices rather than asking open-ended questions ("Would you like coffee or tea?" instead of "What do you want to drink?")
- Keep information and questions short and simple
- Use written cues for activities (such as how to get dressed)
- Use “memory books” to help the person recall personal information
“This is a very challenging disease,” Oloo says. “But having the therapist at home really helped my mother function the best she could and helped my family cope with this struggle.”
Talking the Talk
Speech-language pathologists can help caregivers deal with common communication issues. They include:
- Difficulty finding the right words
- Repeating the same words or phrases again and again
- Substituting words that sound similar
- Inventing new words to describe familiar objects
- Easily losing train of thought
- Difficulty organizing words logically
- Reverting to speaking in a native language
- Using curse words (a strange quirk of diseases that sap language skills)
- Speaking less often, or even not at all
- Relying more on nonverbal gestures to compensate
- Having trouble understanding conversation, questions and instructions
Make Use of the Help at Hand
Medicare and most private insurance reimburse for therapy services received in home or in a facility. Don’t hesitate to discuss the need for services with your loved one’s primary care provider if you begin to notice issues with communication, difficulty with balance or walking, or problems with routine tasks like getting dressed or eating.
Resources
Move Forward Patient Guide to Physical Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease from the American Physical Therapy Association
The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life, 4th By Nancy L. Mace, Peter V. Rabins
Living With Alzheimer’s from the American Occupational Therapy Association
Dementia Fact Sheet from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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