In some cases it can be difficult to communicate with people with dementia, you may be aware of this because there is someone in your family who has dementia, with whom communication is therefore difficult.
People with dementia are a heterogeneous population group with different problems, under this generic name are encompassed collectives with different etiologies and care needs.
- These groups include.
- For example.
- People with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
- People with severe mental illness.
- Parkinson’s disease.
- Rare diseases or brain damage may also be in a state of dementia.
- In this article.
- We’ll focus on Alzheimer’s disease.
There are different diagnostic criteria to include or exclude a patient in a category such as dementia, the most commonly used diagnostic criteria are DSM-IV and ICE-10, the former are more oriented to clinical diagnosis and the second most oriented to epidemiological studies (García and Olazaron, 2000).
Diagnostic criteria for DSM-IV dementia are
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for describing memory problems and other mental functions; is a brain disease that affects people’s ability to remember, reason, and communicate.
Dementia was once known as “old age” and we thought it was a normal sign of aging. We now know that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are not part of normal aging.
Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that causes changes in the areas of the brain that control memory and reasoning, so people with Alzheimer’s have problems in their daily lives, so trying to communicate with people with dementia, as is the case. with people with Alzheimer’s disease, it can become a real odyssey.
Alzheimer’s disease is currently incurable. However, with proper care, most people with Alzheimer’s disease can live for many years; this disease usually affects people over the age of 65, although it can occur before age 40.
Alzheimer’s disease makes it difficult for people to understand or understand each other, and to act in ways that can be annoying or frustrating. We must remember that this is due to the disease and the patient is not doing it on purpose.
The challenge of communicating with people with dementia can, in some cases, test our patience, so it is important to learn how to deal with the different situations that may arise and prevent them from getting worse.
These people find it hard to understand what they are told, yet they are very sensitive to the way they are spoken to, a restless tone can disturb them. A calm tone can comfort them. Keep your tone of voice as positive as possible.
The person with the disease can be confused with reality and not be able to separate the past from the present, he can even forget who you are. This can be annoying, but don’t insist on your version of reality, as it will only cause more confusion and tension.
For example, instead of saying, “You can’t call your father because he died years ago,” try saying, “I’m sure he’s not home now. “Are you trying to call later?
The person may repeat the same question several times, which can be embarrassing. Try to understand why you’re asking this question. For example, the person may be afraid to go on a date or be afraid they won’t attend to it.
Instead of saying “I just said the date is at two o’m tarde!” try to say “don’t worry, I’ll go too and I won’t leave without you. “
The person with dementia may try to do something that is not safe, such as leaving the house alone, for example, and discussing it can make the situation worse. Instead, try to distract the person with something else, soon you will forget what you intended to do.
To communicate effectively with people with dementia, we often need to change the message. For example, instead of saying “Where do you think you’re going?”Can’t you go out alone, try to say? Before you go out, can you help me out a little bit?
Communicating with people with dementia requires a lot of patience and often leads to strong psychological tensions. Also find a way to rest regularly. Sometimes you may feel anger, frustration, fear, or resentment, but be calm, all these feelings are normal.