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How to Communicate With an Alzheimer's Patient By Pauline Go |
| Saturday, March 7, 2009 |
Much of the anger and frustration that an Alzheimer's patient is coming from with the difficult communication. Often, they are unable to express what I want and can not interpret the information in the way they used previously.
When contacting an Alzheimer patient, make sure the person gets enough time to process information, and then some more time to respond. Most people think their family members with Alzheimer's disease have difficulty hearing, when in fact they are taking time to process what they heard and then take more time to respond to information.
So how is it possible to communicate with an Alzheimer's patient? A successful way of communicating is through validation. We all want our sense of being validated and an Alzheimer's patient is no different. In fact, what we need more because of their memory loss and may feel insecure as well. For an Alzheimer's patient, the feelings are real and if the feelings are not validated, they tend to turn into frustration and anger, which can lead to outbursts. By validating the feelings of an Alzheimer's patient, you are sure the patient knows who is listening and this can reduce the frustration and anger they experience.
Validation is not about agreeing with the patient. Is to let the patient know that you have heard and recognized for what they are feeling. For example, Alzheimer's patients can ask their parents have been deceased for several years. You need to look beyond the issue. You should try to determine what the patient feels. It is very possible that he feels alone, abandoned, sad or missing parents. In this example, an appropriate response might be that you've always loved her parents and now you want to know what his favorite memories are of them. This validated that I was thinking of his parents and let him remember a little. For an Alzheimer's patient, reminiscing is very calming and helps them feel secure about who they are. It also helps to put more at ease.
Validation refers to the sensation the patient experiences at that time. The fact that patients with Alzheimer's memory loss in the short term, we need to focus on the moment in hand. This is one of the best ways to communicate with an Alzheimer's patient. Your goal should be to communicate in a way that the patient does not get angry, anxious or agitated.
About Author: Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the medical industry. It also offers high-quality medical tips like:
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posted by neptunus @ 3:58 PM  |
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