Study Offers Guidance For Communicating With Loved Ones Living With Dementia

One of nan awesome challenges faced by families coping pinch Alzheimer's illness and different forms of dementia is learning really to pass efficaciously pinch nan personification impacted by nan illness while besides upholding their personhood, aliases consciousness of individual value.

A caller study from UConn interrogator Amanda Cooper – published successful clip for World Alzheimer's Month successful September and World Alzheimer's Day connected Sept. 21 - offers actual recommendations connected what to do and what not to do to support personhood for a family personnel surviving pinch dementia.

These recommendations tin thief families support meaningful connections pinch a genitor aliases grandparent surviving pinch dementia and support a affirmative consciousness of aforesaid and value of life for group surviving pinch dementia."

Amanda Cooper, adjunct professor of interpersonal connection astatine UConn

First, she says, punctual nan personification of who they are and who they were earlier successful their life by reminiscing pinch them, telling them stories of their past, and pointing retired their affirmative traits.

"Pay attraction to really they respond and set your attack arsenic needed," she advises. "This could mean rephrasing a question, prompting them to thief them remember, asking follow-up questions, aliases giving them a break from nan speech if needed."

Second, cultivate relational relationship by saying "I emotion you," giving a hug aliases a kiss, making nan personification laugh, expressing gratitude for their domiciled successful your life, aliases reminiscing astir moments you shared successful nan past, she adds.

Third, do not do thing for them that they tin do for themselves. Avoid speaking for them and thief them find nan correct words only if they ask, Cooper says. At nan aforesaid time, do not inquire them to do thing they are nary longer capable to do. If they cannot retrieve moments from nan past, do not trial their representation by continually asking them to remember.

"Supporting personhood requires adjusting your connection to nan person's existent capabilities," she says.

Cooper's investigation focuses connected nan ways successful which individuals and families navigate difficult transitions crossed nan lifespan, peculiarly astatine nan extremity of life. This latest study, "Finding nan Communication Sweet Spot: Strategies Promoting Personhood successful Conversations Between Individuals pinch Dementia and Their Family Members," was published successful nan Journal of Family Communication successful July.

She and her squad utilized information from StoryCorps, a nonprofit that shares stories and conversations of mundane group to analyse conversations betwixt group pinch dementia and their family members to isolate successful strategies employed to beforehand personhood successful family members pinch dementia.