Communication includes both verbal and non-verbal methods. Through appropriate communication methods, an elderly person with dementia can feel supported by family members and the outside world, thus reducing feelings of helplessness or frustration. Here are some tips on how to communicate.
The key to verbal communication:
1. Be aware of your surroundings. A noisy environment can hinder the exchange of information.
2.If you find that the elderly have hearing or visual impairment, you should first take them to a specialist for a detailed examination.
3.First introduce yourself to the elderly.
4.Call the elderly person by his or her usual name, but only with his or her consent.
5.When talking, use short and easy-to-understand words and phrases, speak at a moderate speed, bite clearly and in a calm tone. As far as possible, use the dialect that the person is familiar with.
6.Try to start the conversation with the events, people, places, weather, etc. of the day.
7.Select a topic familiar to the elderly and keep the conversation flowing.
8.A few choices can be attached to the topic of questioning to the elderly. For example, “Were you born in Beijing or Shanghai?”
9.Give the elderly plenty of time to think about the question. When the elderly answer, give real-time encouragement, such as smiling, verbal appreciation, etc.
10.Listen to the elderly patiently.
11.Try to understand some unclear phrases of the elderly.
12.When the other party cannot find the appropriate words or have difficulty in responding, it is not advisable to correct immediately to avoid embarrassing the other party, but to prompt or change the topic. For example: “You just mentioned that you had been to ……”, you can let the elderly fill in the unfinished sentence.
13, language should be lively, interesting, can be with a sense of humor.
Verbal communication should avoid.
1.Speaking to the elderly in a commanding manner.
2.Arguing with the elderly when they disagree with each other.
3.Talking to the elderly in a louder tone, making them feel “shouted at”.
4.Talking about or ridiculing the faults of the other person or others in front of the elderly.
5. Use pronouns such as “he” or “it” to represent the names of certain people or objects.
The importance of nonverbal communication: As verbal communication skills decline, nonverbal communication becomes more important. Appropriate gestures, a calm voice, gentle touch and a smile all help to convey the message you are trying to convey. Likewise, the patient’s body language will help you to understand the feelings and requirements that the person wants to express. Sometimes we can clearly experience the patient’s feelings despite the absence of verbal expression. Therefore, caregivers should be aware of the need to respond to the patient’s underlying feelings, such as anxiety, when appropriate.
1. If the patient does not mind, if he/she feels comfortable, express love and warmth through a hug.
2. Pay attention to the patient’s body language. When the patient loses the ability to communicate verbally, usually they will express their thoughts through some non-verbal ways.
3. Pay attention to your body language.
4. Observe the patient’s body language, slurred words, and even shouts to understand the patient’s intentions and needs, just as you would observe a baby’s needs.