How do you talk to people with Alzheimer’s Disease?
I started volunteering at an Alzheimer’s facility, and I’m having difficulty talking to the residents. I don’t know them well yet, so I’m trying to ask about them, how their day was, what they like, etc. In most cases, though, they can’t remember. I feel awkward, and revert to a polite ’smile-and-nod’ technique, which I know is the last thing I should be doing. How can I stop being polite and start talking? What do I talk about?
Tags: talk, Disease, day, smile and nod, people, thingRelated posts:
- The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life, 4th Edition
- Is Alzheimer’s disease the proof that most people live in false hope?
- Do people in the initial first stages of Alzheimer’s know?
- Why All Politicians Develop Alzheimer Disease After They Are Elected To Office?
- Alzheimer Disease Symptoms, Alzheimer Disease Exercises
A calm and stable home environment reduces behavior problems. New situations, noise, large groups of people, being rushed or pressed to remember, or being asked to do complicated tasks can cause anxiety. As a person with Alzheimer’s becomes upset, the ability to think clearly declines even more.
If you are a caregiver here are some tips or things you should know about coz you’ll encounter like sundowning;
The term “sundowning” refers to a state of confusion at the end of the day and into the night. Sundowning isn’t a disease, but a symptom that often occurs in people with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The cause isn’t known. But factors that may aggravate late-day confusion include:
* Fatigue
* Low lighting
* Increased shadows
Some tips for reducing this type of disorientation in one with dementia:
* Plan for activities and exposure to light during the day to encourage nighttime sleepiness.
* Limit caffeine and sugar to morning hours.
* Serve dinner early and offer a light snack before bedtime.
* Keep a night light on to reduce agitation that occurs when surroundings are dark or unfamiliar.
* In a strange or unfamiliar setting such as a hospital, encourage family members to bring familiar items such as photographs or a radio from home.
When sundowning occurs in a care facility, it may be related to the flurry of activity during staff shift changes. Staff arriving and leaving may cue some people with Alzheimer’s to want to go home or to check on their children — or other behaviors that were appropriate in the late afternoon in their past. It may help to occupy their time during that period.
you are doing well, just talk to them like normal people, don’t press for an answer though. they need constant stimulation. Verbal, auditory etc.
be patient.