2 Nonverbal Communications Tips for Alzheimer's Caregivers

Are you having difficulty understanding, coping and communicating with a person living with dementia? Try these 2 nonverbal communication tips.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomIt isn't easy to learn how persons living with Alzheimer's think, feel, and act; and, why they do what they do.  How to listen to an Alzheimer's patientThis is understandable. No one taught us how to do it, and we are not prepared in life to deal with behaviors that are caused by brain disorders.When a person living with dementia changes the way they communicate with us most of us become what can best be calleddiscombobulated.Discombobulated: confused, disconcerted, upset, frustrated, and then angry.This happens because we continue to communicate with them in the way we always have over the course of our lives. Sooner or later most of us realize, this isn't going to work.Here is are 2 communication tips that might help you improve your ability to understand, cope, and communicate with a person living with dementia.Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:1. Meet Harsh Words With an Equal and Opposite Nonverbal CommunicationMy mother was saying over and over each day -get out, I don't want you here, I can take of myself. Of course I tried to explain to her she could no longer live by herself. All this did was make her angry and we had a bad day. Think about it. She just told meshe could take care of herself. So why would it make her happywhen I told her she couldn't? It didn't.I trie...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's care alzheimer's caregiving tips Alzheimer's Communication alzheimer's tips alzheimers caregiver ’s dementia dementia and caregivers dementia care senior care Source Type: blogs