Helping Your Loved One with Alzheimer’s In Positive Ways
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease can be a difficult task. As a result of the damage the illness causes to the brain of the person you love you may see a drastic change in how they communicate with you. Sometimes this can take a toll on you because your loved one may seem to be a totally different person at times. This can be frustrating but remember, Alzheimer’s is a mental illness that erodes your loved one’s reasoning skills, memory and thinking by causing mass amounts of nerve cells in the brain to die.
Be encouraged, there are ways to cope and work with the changes Alzheimer’s disease has caused. Understanding positive ways to help your loved one with their illness is important.
When your loved one is experiencing difficulties in their social abilities or communication skills, they may have difficulty understanding what words mean, short attention span during long conversations, and even sensitivity to tones and loudness of voices.
If the person you are caring for suffers from these problems or similar ones, using positives tones and body language can make communication between the two of you much easier.
When your loved one is having trouble communicating with you, try the following:
Making eye contact and saying their name when speaking to them can get their attention and have them focus on you.
When speaking to your loved one no longer works, a gentle touch and intimacy from you, such as holding their hand can make a positive impact.
Asking simple yes or no questions can keep them from being confused and losing track of their thoughts.
Being patient while offering step-by-step instructions or tasks will keep things simple for your loved one.
Keeping your loved one active is important. Try fun activities such as puzzles, coloring books or taking a nice walk around a park or the neighborhood.
Take time out for yourself if you become frustrated.
These are just a handful of tips that you can use to positively help your loved one suffering from communication problems caused by Alzheimer’s Disease.
