An Alzheimer Society info sheet related to the topics of "Caring for Someone with Dementia" and "Living Day to Day" and most relevant to all the stages.
Dr. Tammy Hopper will share tips and strategies to help you as a care partner communicate more effectively with your family member living with a dementia. Tammy will share examples of what you can do in the early/middle stages when communication starts to change, and she will provide tips as the disease progresses and communication becomes more challenging. This session will be helpful for all care partners.
Communication is BOTH verbal and non-verbal. Both means of communication are important, however, non-verbal communication becomes an even more valuable tool when connecting with a person with dementia at end of life.
Watching the body language of the person with dementia may help us to understand their needs better. And your knowledge of the meaning behind the person's non verbal cues can be important information for everyone involved in caring for the person at end of life.
Download and print a few copies of the activity sheet below. Take a few minutes to review and complete the questions. Plan to share a copy of the profile with each person involved in the care of the person with dementia.
A Caregiver's Guide: Available from http://www.stlazarus.ca/english/projects_pages/palliativecare_pages/caregiversguide.html
Progression Series: End of Life
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Communication is BOTH verbal and non-verbal. Both means of communication are important, but non-verbal communication becomes an even more valuable tool when dealing with memory issues, especially in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Watching other people and their body language helps us to understand a conversation better, as so much of our language can have different meanings depending on how it is stated.
Here's a look at the detailed differences between verbal and non-verbal communication. Download and print a copy of the activity sheet. Take a few moments to review the information.
After you've read the activity sheet, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
Communication - Day to Day Series
Enhancing Communication: A By Us For Us Guide
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
As the disease progresses, communication can become increasingly challenging. Recognizing those changes will help the person with dementia, and her family and friends, find ways to communicate more effectively.
Here we have a conversation between speech language pathologist, Tammy Hopper, and host, Liana Shannon. Tammy shares practical communication techniques and tips to help you communicate more effectively with someone living with dementia.
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Download and print a copy of the activity sheet below. It provides a nice summary of five key points that Tammy and Liana discussed in the video:
After you've read the activity sheet, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
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Communication - Day to Day Series
Enhancing Communication: A By Us For Us Guide
Communication Tips for Caregivers
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To continue your learning experience, move ahead to Session 10 where we'll explore the importance of hope on your journey as a care partner. Find out how to maintain hope, the importance of self-care, and how to get the help and support you need.
Communication is BOTH verbal and non-verbal. Both means of communication are important, but non-verbal communication becomes an even more valuable tool when dealing with memory issues.
Watching other people and their body language helps us to understand a conversation better, as so much of our language can have different meanings depending on how it is stated.
Here's a look at the detailed differences between verbal and non-verbal communication. Download and print a copy of the activity sheet. Take a few moments to review the information.
After you've read the activity sheet, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
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Communication - Day to Day Series
Enhancing Communication: A By Us For Us Guide
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To continue your learning experience, move ahead to Session 9 where we'll help you understand stress and how it affects your body. You will develop coping strategies to deal with the stress which results from your role as a care partner.
Dementia creates distinct challenges in how people express themselves and understand what is being communicated to them.
Here we have a conversation between speech language pathologist, Tammy Hopper, and host, Liana Shannon. Tammy shares her expertise about verbal and non-verbal communication.
The video will help you understand the communication challenges faced by people with dementia and why it's important to adapt your communication style to meet their needs.
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People with dementia lose particular communication abilities during the early, middle and late stages of the disease. As the illness progresses, they experience a gradual deterioration of their ability to express themselves clearly and understand what others say. However, some form of communication does remain possible at every stage of the disease.
The following communication changes are common among people with dementia:
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Communication - Day to Day Series
Enhancing Communication: A By Us For Us Guide
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At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias gradually diminish a person's ability to communicate. Communication with a person with dementia requires patience, understanding and good listening skills.
A first step toward effective communication is to understand how dementia affects the communication centres of the brain.
This Brain Tour explains how the brain works and how Alzheimer's affects brain function. The Tour is provided courtesy of the Alzheimer's Association (USA).
Please click the link below to access the tour.
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_4719.asp
Communication - Day to Day Series
Enhancing Communication: A By Us For Us Guide
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Communication is a critical component of our life; it enables us to express who we are and allows us to relate to one another. When we communicate, we convey messages or exchange information to share needs, opinions, ideas, beliefs, feelings, emotions, experiences and values. Communication is more than talking and listening; it involves understanding and interpreting.
Information is conveyed in many ways:
In this session, a speech language pathologist will help you understand the communication challenges faced by people with dementia and how this feels for them. Practical skills to help you communicate more effectively with the person you are caring for will be shared.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this session, you will be able to:
Work through the various parts of the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Do you have trouble starting conversations? Do you quickly run out of things to say?
Anxiety Canada offers some practical advice for how to start, continue and end a conversation and boost your communication skills. Check out these tips:
Tips for Starting a Conversation
Tips for Keeping a Conversation Going
Tips for Ending a Conversation
Click here to learn more about how you can practice your conversation skills and expand your social connections!
Source: Anxiety Canada