Download Effective-Communication-with-Alzheimer`s-Patients

Goals:
•
To review effects of AD on the brain
•
To explore barriers to and alternative methods of
communication with people with AD
Effects of AD on the brain
Barriers to communication
People with AD often are limited in the following ways
 Can’t communicate in “typical” ways
 Have difficulty processing direct, factual questions or
information that requires complex thinking and logic
processes
 Have trouble finding the right words for what they are
trying to express
 May be completely nonresponsive in the “typical” ways
Alternative ways to approach
communication
Important aspects of communication
• Focus on feelings
• Stay in the present
• Avoid questions and communication that require
complex thinking processes
• Follow cues and watch for feedback
• Stay curious
Alternative ways to approach
communication
Specific techniques to appeal to the five senses
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http://www.musicandmemory.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqj8jnIRXFI
Sookie the wonder dog and other
truths: Tools to help in this work
~Process Work
~Dispassionate Witness