UTAH CHAPTER QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER  •  FALL 2008

Effective Keys to Communication with a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease

…As important it is for you to listen to the person with dementia who can talk, it will be just as important for you to talk to your loved one who can no longer speak.  It becomes difficult for people to talk as their dementia gets worse.  It requires patience, creativity intuition & a good heart.  You can do this.  Why? Because you know the person better than the dementia.  We call this “person centered care”. 

Research has shown that persons with dementia respond better to the care they receive and live longer when they are engaged in conversation (Keily et al, 2000) Our loved one with dementia may be a puzzle, but a puzzle worth solving!