How Do You Communicate With Your Mom as Alzheimer's Worsens?

Good communication between seniors and their loved one is always important, but it becomes more difficult as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. Frustration builds and it adds to the stress of being a family caregiver. If you ask a memory care specialist about what you need to do to ensure your mom gets the right care, taking care of yourself is going to be on that list. If you’re trying to do it all, it’s time to stop and let an Alzheimer’s care aide help out.

Here are a few vital tips to help family caregivers communicate with their senior loved one with Alzheimer’s disease:

Don’t Jump in to Finish Her Sentences

When your mom is talking and can’t come up with a word, don’t immediately jump in to fill in the blank for her. Give her time to think about a similar word that will work just as effectively. When you give her time, she’s empowered to keep trying.

When you jump in and fill in the blanks, she’s going to be embarrassed that she couldn’t find the right word. It may keep her from wanting to attempt to speak in the future.

Be Patient

Be patient with your mom. She will get frustrated when she cannot come up with words. She’s going to forget that she’s already told you something, and if you say so, she’ll shut down or become angry that she cannot remember telling you the same story five times in the past hour.

A lot of your interactions with your mom are going to be pretending she’s telling you new information. You have to be patient, keep a calm tone, and avoid becoming emotional. Patience will take you far when it comes to navigating Alzheimer’s.

Know her limits. Your mom may have times when she just wants to be left alone and not pushed to try to get the words out. If she’s at that point, leave her alone for a few minutes. She’ll forget why she was frustrated or angry. You can try again later.

Encourage Alternative Communication Techniques

When she’s struggling to find the right words, come up with other ways to communicate. It’s time for a meal, but she cannot find the words to say what she wants. Try another means of communication like pointing to pictures of items.

Get a cookbook filled with pictures and have her point to things she wants to eat. If she sees a picture of a bowl of soup, you can make her favorite soup. If she points at pizza, you know to make a pizza. Photos can help a lot when it comes to communicating in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s.

Talk to Her Doctor About Speech Therapy

At your mom’s next memory care appointment, ask your mom’s doctor about working with a speech therapist. Your mom may benefit from having an expert teach you both some of the more effective ways to communicate. Plus, speech therapists can help her maintain her ability to swallow for longer.

Alzheimer’s care is a customized home care service that’s specific to the needs of people with dementia. Talk to a specialist about your mom and how Alzheimer’s care aides can best help your family.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s care in Newton, KS, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas today. Call 620-603-0685.

Touching Hearts at Home Central Kansas is a Trusted Home Care Agency Barton, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Great Bend, Hutchinson, Larned, Lyons, Marion, McPherson, Newton, Pawnee, Rice, Reno, Salina, Sedgwick, Stafford, and the surrounding areas.