Dementia communication skills

As we all know, communicating with a person with dementia is a major challenge. Still, at the same time, it is a key to maintaining their dignity, comfort, and sense of security. With the right support from service providers who possess the most important dementia communication skills, this communication will be easy to complete in a way that helps improve the patient’s quality of life.

Master These 8 Dementia Communication Skills

How do you communicate with dementia patients successfully? To achieve this, you must possess dementia communication skills such as:

1. Communicate clearly and calmly

You must be keen to speak slowly, clearly, and in a calm tone, while maintaining eye contact.

2. Simple Conversational Language 

Use short, simple sentences and familiar words such as names and terms the person understands, and avoid jargon, synonyms, and complex phrases.

3. Rely on visual cues 

Use visual aids to communicate with a person with dementia, such as pictures and displays, to help them understand more easily.

4. Listen attentively

Make sure you listen carefully and pay close attention to their verbal and nonverbal responses, and ascertain their feelings toward each situation.

5. Patience

One of the most important dementia communication skills is to be patient when dealing with them, and also give them enough time to understand and respond.

6. Avoid arguing completely

If a person with dementia says something you disagree with, you should fully accept their point of view without argument, even if this acceptance is only superficial.

7. Repeat and rephrase your message

If the person with dementia doesn’t understand your message, rephrase it or use different, more cognitively appropriate words to clarify so they can easily understand what you want.

8. Adapt to their needs

One of the most important dementia communication skills is also being flexible and able to adjust your approach based on their communication style and individual needs.

Communication changes in dementia

As the disease progresses, some communication changes in dementia appear, such as:

• Notice a change in the patient’s speech pattern.
• He forgets words or repeats the same sentences.
• He has difficulty understanding instructions.
• He may exhibit various psychological symptoms.
• Significant and noticeable deterioration in reading and writing skills.
• A person with dementia also finds it very difficult to express his feelings and emotions in a healthy way.
• The patient may refuse to eat for extended periods due to a deterioration in his psychological and neurological condition.

No doubt that emotional support and the mastery of dementia communication skills of specialists who provide special needs assistance at home services will be essential to reduce patients’ frustration.

Key communication techniques for interacting with a person with dementia

How to communicate with dementia patients effectively? You can  achieve this via the following tips:

• Always use their name at the beginning of a conversation.
• When speaking to dementia patients, use short, simple sentences.
• Give the patient enough time to respond.
• Keen to use a warm and kind tone of voice.
• You can also demonstrate your noble feelings toward them through body language, which is one of the most prominent dementia communication skills.

What NOT to do when communicating with a person with dementia

Mastering dementia communication skills also includes knowing what points must be completely avoided when dealing with these patients, such as:

• Don’t interrupt or repeatedly correct him in his speech or actions to preserve his dignity.
• Never use a condescending tone or a loud voice.
• Don’t ask him complex, difficult, or ambiguous questions.
• Don’t show frustration or impatience for any reason, regardless of your feelings.
• Never ridicule his actions, and don’t divulge his secrets or privacy.

Encouraging someone with dementia to communicate

You can encourage a person with dementia to communicate and participate by providing a calm, distraction-free environment and initiating simple conversations about cherished memories. 

You can also use photos, favorite music, or old scents to stimulate their memory and encourage interaction and expression.

Communicating through body language and physical contact

It is important to know that body languages, such as smiling, direct eye contact, and gentle, friendly touches, enhances a dementia patient’s sense of security and also makes them feel cared for, even when words fail them or they are unable to express themselves.

Listening to and understanding someone with dementia

When caring for a patient with dementia, it’s important to be an active listener, paying close attention to tone of voice and facial expressions, not just the words.

You should also show empathy and full attention, even if the patient’s words don’t make sense, as feeling appreciated is far more important than logic.

Therapies and communication strategies for people with dementia

Besides dementia communication skills, there are some Treatments and communication strategies for dementia patients which are essential tools for supporting them psychologically and mentally, enhancing their ability to express themselves, and also providing them with a sense of comfort and dignity in their daily lives. The most important of these include the following:

• Validation therapy and dementia

Validation therapy focuses on listening to the dementia patient’s feelings and affirming them verbally, without direct correction or challenge. This can greatly help reduce anxiety and promote a sense of understanding and respect.

• Music therapy and dementia

Through music therapy, songs familiar to the patient are used as often as possible to stimulate their emotional and mental memory. This reduces stress, strengthens bonds with the patient, and significantly improves their quality of life.

• Reminiscence and dementia

Reminiscence therapy involves sharing memories from the past with a patient using images or objects associated with them. This therapeutic method helps improve mood, strengthen a sense of identity and self, and gently enhance social interaction.

• Speech sessions with specialists

These speech sessions aim to improve expression and comprehension through the use of speech and language exercises in a supportive environment, thus helping dementia patients communicate more confidently and comfortably daily.

Communication in the Different Stages of Dementia

The method of communicating with a person with dementia varies depending on the stage they are in. The method must be adapted to suit their changing abilities and provide appropriate support. These stages include the following:

1. Communication in the early stage

The patient is still able to speak clearly but requires more frequent repetition of information and encouragement to participate.

2. Communication in the middle stage

Here, the patient’s ability to express themselves clearly begins to decline, requiring greater support through body language, visual cues, and simple spoken language.

3. Communication in the late stage

This is the worst stage of the disease that a dementia patient goes through, because the patient’s ability to speak or understand has greatly declined, and communication with him here depends on looks, touches, and emotional tone, meaning that body language is the most important tool at this stage, for that it requires complete mastery of dementia communication skills.

Fun questions to ask dementia patients

Some helpful questions that can be used while caring for a dementia patient, which can help improve their emotional well-being and strengthen bonds with them, include:

• What is your favorite game?
• What is the name of the team you support?
• What is your favorite food?
• What is your favorite song?
• What was the brand of the first car you bought?
• Do you remember your first job?
• What did you like to eat when you were young?
• Do you remember your first trip?
• Who was your best friend as a child?

Every Word Matters. Let Lana Life Care Support Your Loved One’s Voice

At Lana Life Care in Dubai, we believe that the challenges of caring for dementia patients are not to be underestimated and require a thorough mastery of dementia communication skills.

That’s why we provide a professional nursing home services team and specialized home healthcare services, such as elderly care at home, Special Needs Assistance at Home, and emergency doctor-on-call services, to help your loved ones improve their quality of life and support their voice and humanity with love and professionalism.

faq

How does dementia affect communication skills?

It reduces his ability to find words, organize thoughts, understand language, and interact socially, and communication becomes slower and more scattered as the disease progresses.

What are the 3 R’s of communication for dementia?

These 3 Rs include: Right, Reassure, and Redirect

What communication is used for dementia?

Simplified verbal communication, body language, and visual cues

What are 5 strategies you should use to communicate with people with dementia?

These strategies include (using short, simple sentences – maintaining a calm tone of voice – using positive body language – giving him enough time to understand the response – avoiding correction or argument)

 

 

Sources:

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/symptoms/how-to-communicate-dementia

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dementia-communication

https://blog.episcopalretirement.com/the-3-rs-right-reassure-redirect-mindful-monday