Breaking barriers; Communicate effectively with people with Dementia

Non-verbal communication: Using gestures or understanding other people’s gestures is a really important part of communication.
Facial expressions mean a lot.

Dementia is a neurodegenerative disorder. That means bits of the brain stop working as they used to in a progressive way over time.

Neurologists can pinpoint which parts of the brain have been affected by analysing the speech patterns of the person affected. It is astonishing how many different patterns occur.

An early sign of communication problems is difficulty in finding the right word. We all have this from time to time and it is worse if you are tired or stressed. In early dementia the person might have problems naming people or objects. Over time family names might be lost, and the person may get mixed up about family relationships. For example a mother might see her son and think that this is her husband. This is different from forgetting her son’s name.

“Taking part in conversations becomes difficult over time and families report that “Dad comes to lunch with us, but he seems withdrawn and doesn’t join in the conversation any more.””

The language problems are tested for how well they understand things that are said to them, or things that are written. Can they repeat what has been said? Can they still write as they used to? Taking part in conversations becomes difficult over time and families report that “Dad comes to lunch with us, but he seems withdrawn and doesn’t join in the conversation any more.” They might notice that the man’s fluency in language has dropped off, and he seems not to understand as much of what is said to him.

Non-verbal communication is better preserved

Importantly though, and you must remember this, non-verbal communication is better preserved. Using gestures or understanding other people’s gestures is a really important part of communication. Facial expressions mean a lot.

The difficulties in language are different for each different sort of dementia. Sometimes the umbrella term is unhelpful for this reason. In the vascular sort of dementia there is more likely to be incomprehensible speech. One granddaughter described it as “my grandma talks in scribble”. The meaning could almost be guessed from the gestures and facial expression, but the sounds might not even be words.

As the condition progresses, you have to do what you can to help the person attend to what is being said, and that includes reducing environmental distractions. Simplifying conversation helps, along with making sure that hearing aids and spectacles are used so that the person can maximise their access to sounds and non-verbal cues.

And how can you help? Make sure the person knows you are talking to them by being in front of them and giving a sign like touching their hand, and using their name. Don’t talk to them like a child, but still use clear and simple language. Avoid stress, avoid confrontation. And think about using a communication tool like Talking Mats.

The more you understand about what is happening in dementia, the better your communication will be. Find out more here and in the training that is offered through our website.