Dementia is a progressive ailment that, over a period of time, tends to affect a person’s ability to remember and recollect as well as understand basic everyday facts and events like names, dates and places. Dementia taken care of and treated in Dementia care, specifically, Dementia care homes in Pune, gradually affects the way a person usually communicates. Their ability to bring about practical, rational ideas and notions accompanied by subsequent reasoning power tend to change to a great extent. So, if you’re on the lookout for a person suffering from dementia, you may find that with the progression of illness, you need to go for initiating a discussion for getting the person communicate with you. With the onset of dementia attaining its peak, their capability to process information gets progressively and noticeably weaker with responses getting delayed every now and then.
Motivating someone with Dementia to Communicate:
Make an attempt to communicate with people suffering from dementia getting treated at Dementia care, in particular, dementia care homes in Pune, especially if you notice that they’re having far and fewer conversations. Communication aids in:
- Speaking clearly and slowly, using short sentences.
- Making eye contact with the person when they’re conversing or asking questions.
- Providing them with time to respond and reciprocate, as they may feel pressurized if you attempt to speed up their answers.
- Encouraging them to participate in communicating with others, whenever possible.
- Letting them speak up their minds during discussions pertaining to their wellbeing or health concerns.
- Trying not to patronize them, or ridiculing them about what they speak out.
- Acknowledging what they’ve stated, even if they don’t answer to your query or speak out of context. Give the impression that you’ve heard them right thereby motivating them to say more about their answers.
- Giving them smart and simple options-abstain from creating complicated or roundabout choices.
- Using other means of communication like rephrasing questions as they’re unable to answer in the way they used to be.
Communication via Body Language & Physical Contact/Touch:
Communications is not just merely about talking or conversing. Gestures, movement and facial expressions all of these are capable of conveying meaning or help you get the messages across as part of dementia plan and program carried out in Dementia care, more so, at Dementia care homes in Pune. In fact, body language and physical touch/contact become important when speech seems to be a difficult proposition for a person suffering from dementia taken care of adeptly by Dementia care.
When someone has difficulty speaking up or understanding, make sure to:
- Be patient and keep calm, resulting in the person communicate more freely, without any inhibitions or apprehensions.
- Make your tone of voice positive, amicable and friendly, whenever possible.
- Converse with them at respectable distance to avoid intimidating them-being in sync with them or even lower than they’re (for instance, if they’re sitting) can also help.
- Pat on his/her back or hold the person’s hand whilst talking to them, reassuring them and making them feel closer-keep a tab on their body language, listening attentively to their thoughts or opinions to ascertain if they’re comfortable doing this.
In fact, good communication is an integral part of living well after diagnosis of dementia treated at Dementia care homes in Pune or anywhere in India. It helps people with dementia to keep a sense of self, sustain relationships and maintain their quality of life. Even as communication becomes more challenging, there’re lots of ways to communicate more meaningfully and effectively.
Listening to & Understanding someone with Dementia:
Communication is a two-way procedure. As a carer of someone who has been affected by dementia, you’ll probably have to learn to pay heed to what someone has to say. Moreover, you need to be much more aware of non-verbal messages like facial expressions and body languages, employing more physical contact such as reassuring pats on the arm, or smile and speaking as well.
Active listening helps in:
- Using eye contact for looking at the person, and motivating them to cast his/her glance at you when either of you’re conversing.
- Attempting not to interrupt them, even if you’re aware of what they’re talking about.
- Stopping what you’re doing so that you can give full attention to the person whilst speaking.
- Reducing distractions that act as a stumbling block in the way of communication like television viewing or radio playing too loudly. Do a reality check to see if it’s wise to indulge in such things or activities.
- Repeating what you heard back to the person, asking him/her if it’s accurate or telling them to repeat those words.
Get people with dementia treated at Swarnavihar old-age home & dementia care centre-an assisted care living facility established in Pune for needy elders. A prominent senior care centre providing senior citizen care services in Pune, Swarnavihar aims at taking care and supporting them with compassion, empathy and kindness. It’s forte lies in care and daily living assistance of an order of individuals requiring help, giving them protection from intruders and providing 100% assurance of safe and secured lives. Swarnavihar’s bevy of services constitute Dementia Care, Assisted Living Care, Geriatric Care, Palliative/Hospice Care, Paralytic Care & Post Operative Care. It offers amenities for Doctors Visit, Nursing Care & Physiotherapy. With skilled bunch of dedicated staff members and experienced clinical team, Swarnavihar excels in providing full-fledged support and assistance to thousands of senior citizens, having outlets in Vadagaon, Baner, Wakad, Pune and Gottigere, Bengaluru. Avail our best services!