understanding dementia behavior, part three.

third tip from fca: state your message clearly. use simple words and sentences. speak slowly, distinctly and in a reassuring tone. refrain from raising your voice higher or louder; instead, pitch your voice lower. if she doesn't understand the first time, use the same wording to repeat your message or question. if she still doesn't understand, wait a few minutes and rephrae the question. use the names of people and places instead of pronouns and abbreviations.

my addition to this tip: remember that they're adults, not children. it might feel like you need to talk to them the way some people do when speaking to someone who doesn't speak english (like getting louder helps someone understand better). relax. it can be totally frustrating to communicate with someone who has dementia. a lot of this work is trying to separate the way you used to communicate with them with how you need to communicate with them.

the majority of the above information is from one of my favorite sources: family caregiver alliance, www.caregiver.org

read my disclaimer here.