Communication Strategies
Overview
One of the many challenges posed by people suffering from dementia is communication. As this disease advances the brain begins to deteriorate by showing signs of lost memories, clear thought, and a lack of personal hygiene. In addition, mood swinges become evident stemming from the frustration of losing their ability to remember and communicate clearly with others. Other noticeable changes occur in the personality and behaviour patterns, such as a lower regard for personal hygiene.
What follows are suggestions on how to communicate with individuals suffering from Dementia
Communication is something we learn throughout our lifetime and when we begin to lose this ability it changes us. Understandably, caregivers need the ability to communicate with their patients in order to help them and provide the care necessary to improve their well being. This
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All of us have the ability to pick up on the mood of others. We do this on a subconscious level by noticing the body language and voice tone. Keeping this in mind, it helps to keep an upbeat attitude and beware of your own body language, your stance, the position of your arms, a smile and the tone in your voice. When speaking with someone with dementia keep a positive and respectful tone in your voice and always pose in a neutral stance, or when seated. It helps also to utilize the power of touch, (done so gently), on the arm or shoulder. This helps to convey the message and the feeling of caring.
2. Try not to allow distractions when trying to communicate. Limiting them helps as well, such as turning the TV volume down or off, as with a radio. Dimming the light in a room helps, closing the blinds or curtains for example. If it is easier to move to a quieter location, do so. Once the noise or other distractions are gone make sure you have their attention before attempting to speak. Always address them by name and make sure to sit if they are sitting to maintain level eye
Dementia is a serious disorder caused by a variety of brain illnesses which affects a person memory .There are three symptoms stages which are early,middle,and late stages. A Person with dementia lose the ability to think well enough to do everyday activities or solve problems. It is also difficult for a person with dementia to interact with others which makes this disease overwhelming for the families of the Patient. The number of people who have dementia is currently estimated at 47.5 million.
The first thing to remember when talking to people with dementia is to keep things simple. For example, speak slowly and distinctly, using clear and simple words. Use real names for people and objects, rather than words like “she”, “it” or “them”, as this makes conversations easier to follow. Understanding the meaning behind certain behaviors will enable you to find solutions to help people with dementia cope with what they are
Dementia History Dementia is a disease that brings grief to a family if it is not handled correctly. This disease gradually begins and worsens the cognitive ability over several years. In the dawn of nineteenth century, dementia was just a clinical concept. The doctors believed that dementia in aged people fluctuated within the idea that was due to the blockage in the major arteries in the brain or small strokes inside the vessels of the cerebral cortex. Recently they believe that the dementia is caused due to the mixture of both conditions.
I. Just imagine waking up one morning and not knowing or remembering anything you did yesterday or the past years of your life? Well that’s what people who have dementia go through. They cannot remember who their kids are or anyone around them. II. Dementia effects your memory and a person’s ability to achieve a normal everyday task and activities.
1.1: Explain how individuals with Dementia may communicate through their behaviour. Individuals with dementia can communicate in many ways. Those who cannot communicate verbally can express themselves with positive behaviour, negative behaviour, body language and through posture. For example, an individual who is in pain may express this by showing agitated behaviour, having a lack of appetite and showing facial expressions.
Overall the book teaches us a number of lessons about the progression of dementia. This knowledge can be applied today in nursing practice to provide better patient teaching and understanding of the
Unit 3:Effective communication in health and social care Learning aim A:investigate different form of communication We can All communication A community centre A family centre
It is very important in your job role as health care assistant to know all the information about the individual take for example they wont know there children as adults they would only know them as children and even though there husband has died they still will think they are alive. You might get upset or frustrated in trying to explain to them there children are all grown up and that there husband died along time ago you have to patient it is important to use the right tone of and to role play along with service user in order to make them feel comfortable or remind them of what day and year .Sometimes it can be very difficult to get threw to an individual who has dementia. It is very important to always smile using eye contact greet them good morning how are you today the weather is really sunny
Dementia is one of the most feared diseases and expensive to society currently. It is defined as a clinical syndrome of acquired cognitive impairment that determines decrease of intellectual enough capacity to interfere social and functional performance of the individual and their quality of life. It is a known fact that patients tend to express themselves through their behaviour and expect their carers to understand this notion. The diverse kinds of causes of different behaviours are inability to communicate, difficulty with tasks, unfamiliar surroundings, loud noises, frantic environment, and physical discomfort. Many diseases can cause dementia, some of which may be reversible.
Alzheimer 's slowly takes the family member someone once knew very dearly and turned them into someone you only know because of memories. They become someone who fails to recognize their family members, they are not able to care for themselves, they are in their own world, alone, afraid, and confused. I was able to enter my grandma’s world when she lived at home. I was one of the only people who understood her in times of confusion, I helped her feel as if she were the amazing woman she had always been. My grandmother was later admitted into a nursing home when she became a danger to herself at home.
The group 's purpose and overall goal is to provide support and assistance to helping caregivers of terminally ill dementia and Alzheimer 's patients cope with their roles as a caregiver and as a loved one. This is reached through a relaxed setting that puts the caregivers at ease and allows them to openly and freely talk about their
Before I saw the elderly would not dare to approach them, talk alone with them. After long-term care services to learn, let me learn how to care for the elderly and in contact with them. I realized that each person is unique individual life, not because of a certain part of the disability and then despise them. We should be based on a sincere and caring heart to get along with them. However, before that we must first develop a respect for life.
Once they are done talking you should provide feedback so you can show that you were actually listening. Nonverbal communication such as facial expressions and touching is important as it can send a different meaning that is more intimate. Text messaging is the most common way that people today communicate (Self-Help). While texting is more convienent it can come across rude and can lead to misunderstandings which will cause tension in the relationship (Writer, 2011). This relates to today's society since most people are stuck to their phone and uses an app to find a significant
Like having empathy, it only through understanding the feeling of others where you can listen to them well. Refrain from interrupting while others talk. Usually, this happens when you are feeling nervous. You must rather save your thoughts at a later instance when the speaker has shortly finished talking.
According to Korn et al Communication is “using messages to generate meanings.” (9) How effective and competent our communication is can literally change our entire lives, the more we are understood the happier and more satisfied we are. In order to be a competent communicator one must have the ability to be aware of the communication climate one creates, be aware of the messages they send, and be able to send messages that are appropriate for the setting and audience they are taking place in. By being aware of all these factors a competent communicator is able to get their message across clearly and effectively and are able to be understood and maintain open back and forth communication.