Helping Carers Communicate with Patients Having Alzheimer's
Disease
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, patients often lose the
ability to express themselves, thereby increasing their feelings
of isolation and frustration. Communication difficulties can
contribute to the aggressive or inappropriate behaviors often
associated with the disease. Similarly, caregivers may feel
anxious and depressed over their inability to communicate with
their loved ones. Learning simple strategies for communicating
with Alzheimer's patients can make the process less difficult
and thereby improve the relationship between caregivers and
patients.
In order to better communicate with Alzheimer's patients,
caregivers must first understand some of challenges their loved
ones face. Because of their diminishing attention spans, it is
easy for Alzheimer's patients to become distracted and lose
their train of thought; therefore, a conversation-partner who is
long-winded, or a noisy environment, such as a restaurant, may
severely impede their ability to have a conversation. Poor short
term memory often causes them to repeat what they have already
said or forget what they were already told, frustrating their
conversation partner. It also takes much longer for them to
verbalize what they are thinking, and they may be unable to
grasp certain words. Finally, patients who are hard of hearing
or legally blind, which are communication roadblocks in their
own right, may find communication doubly frustrating. When
communicating with Alzheimer's patients, it is helpful for
caregivers to keep these limitations in mind so that they can
communicate with their loved one from a place of compassion
rather than impatience or anxiety.
While the limitations that Alzheimer's patients face in
communicating are great, using some simple creative listening
techniques can remove many of the barriers between patient and
caregiver.
First, when communicating with Alzheimer's patients, it is
important to keep in mind that they want to express themselves
and may do so with their nonverbal expressions of emotion and
behaviors as much as with their words. These modes of
communication should not be overlooked.
Similarly, caregivers must listen nonverbally as well, with eye
contact, a smile or a hug. Interrupting or arguing, which are
impediments to conversation in normal circumstances, can be
particularly frustrating for an Alzheimer's patient, leading to
disruptive behaviors. Caregivers must be patient and allow their
loved ones extra time to speak. Finally, it is important to
interpret statements made by Alzheimer's patients as both
literal expressions and expressions of emotion.
Caregivers can also employ various techniques to improve their
chances of being understood by Alzheimer's patients. They should
establish rapport first by introducing themselves and using the
patient's name. (If you are the patient's partner or child it
may feel a little strange having to introduce yourself, but
remember that the patient may, as a result of their illness,
have forgotten your name and who you are).
They should focus on fundamentals, such as speaking slowly and
clearly for short periods of time. If they have instructions to
deliver, they should break them down into manageable chunks that
won't stress the patient's attention span or memory. Rather than
using questions that require further explanation from patients,
such as "How do you feel?," they should ask yes or no questions,
such as "Do you feel tired?" This advice runs counter to typical
communication techniques, but nonverbal communication, such as a
nod of the head, and verbal responses requiring simple
vocabulary, improve communication with Alzheimer's patients.
Most importantly, caregivers should express themselves with an
attitude of love and concern rather than frustration or
impatience when communicating with Alzheimer's patients.