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COMMUNICATING |
Emotional Care for the Alzheimer Patient Bibliography for Alzheimer Caregivers Medical Alerts for Alzheimer's Disease Legal Services needed upon Diagnosis of Disease 101 Things to do with a Person with Alzheimers Caring for the Caregiver Services available to Families of Patients with Memory Loss Communicating with Alzheimer's Patient Communication HInts |
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First - ALWAYS use the positive physical approach ! 1. APPROACH * Come from the FRONT - Let them know you are coming.
* Go SLOW - reaction times slow as we age - it takes longer for info to
get in the brain.
* Get LOW - don't use your height to intimidate * Offer HAND - Let them start the interaction *
Call NAME - the name that person PREFERS! THEN wait ........ 2. START MESSAGE * DON'T have verbal diarrheas * DON'T Ask "Are you ready..??" or "Do you WANT to..?" or "Do you Need to..?" * Don't Tell "You need to.." or "You have to.." * Give simple choices - this or that (orange juice or milk) (eat or go to the bathroom first) *
Give single step directions - break down the task (go to eat. .Lean
forward. .pull your * Ask the person to HELP you - it feels better to give than to receive ! *
Ask the person if they will at least TRY?????? - sometimes you'll try even
if you don't 3. WAIT * Wait for a response * Silently count to 10 * IF NO response .., ask again 4. IF RESPONDING * Give positive STROKES in an ADULT voice. "Good job!", “Yes!”, “That’s it”, Smile or nod, Hug, Stroke or rub REMEMBER - You HAVE THE POWER ! Keep it Calm ! Keep it Adult!, Keep it Positive!, Keep it Simple! AVOID FLIGHT, FRIGHT,
OR FIGHT ....they waste your time ! Second - Pay attention to the THREE ways you communicate - 1. How you speak -- Tone of voice ( friendly not bossy or critical ) -- Pitch of voice ( deep is better ) -- Speed of speech ( slow and easy not pressured or fast ) 2. What you say Three basic reasons to talk to someone 1) To get the person to DO something ( 5 approaches to try ) 1- give a short, direct message about what is happening 2- give simple choices about what the person can do 3- ask the person to help you do something 4- ask if the person will give it a try 5- break down the task - give it one step at the time 2) Just to have a friendly interaction - to talk to the person * go slow - Go with the Flow * Acknowledge emotions - "sounds like..., seems like..., I see you are..." * use familiar words or phrases ( what the person uses ) * know who the person has been as a person-what s/he values * be prepared to have the same conversation over and over * look interested and friendly * be prepared for some emotional outbursts * DON'T argue... - BUT don't let the person get into dangerous situations.
REMEMBER -- the person is doing the BEST s/he can, AND GO with the FLOW !
3) Deal with the person's distress or frustration / anger
*Try to figure out what the person really
NEEDS or WANTS (
"It sounds like..." "It seems like..." You're feeling like..." ) * Use empathy not forced reality or lying
* Once the person is listening and responding to
you THEN Redirect his/her
attention and actions to something that is OK or
Distract
with other things or activities you know s/he likes and
values. Always BE CAREFUL about personal space and touch with the person, especially when s/he is distressed or being forceful 4) How you respond to the person * use positive, friendly approval or praise (short, specific and sincere). * offer your thanks and appreciation for his/her efforts. * laugh with him/her and appreciate attempts at humor and friendliness. * shake hands to start and end an interaction .
* use touch - hugging, hand holding,
comforting only IF
the patient wants it. If what you are doing in NOT working - STOP ! STOP ! BACK OFF
Give the person some space and
time.
Decide on what to do differently
Try Again ! Key Points About 'Who' the person is ... - preferred name - introvert or extrovert - a planner or a doer - a follower or a leader - a 'detail' or a 'big picture' person - work history - favorite and most hated jobs or parts of jobs - family relationships and history - feelings about various family members - social history - memberships and relationships to friends and groups - leisure background - favorite activities and beliefs about fun, games and free time - previous daily routines and schedules - personal care habits and preferences - religious and spiritual needs and beliefs, values and interests - favorite topics, foods, places - favorite music and songs - dislike of music and songs - hot buttons and stressors - behavior under stress - what things help with stress? - handedness - level of cognitive impairment
- types of help that are useful Taken with special permission from: "ALZHEIMER'S CARE AND THE COMMUNITY FAMILY"
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