Adria Thompson

In this video, I demonstrate two different ways to approach someone with dementia. In the first, it’s not a positive experience. In the second, I do the following: • Speak directly to the person with dementia, not the caregiver. • Get down to their level to make the interaction more comfortable. • Speak slowly and with pauses between words. • Avoid speaking to them like a child and use simple language instead. • Reminisce and talk about familiar things from their past. • Introduce myself by name and explain our relationship. • Be kind and use friendly facial expressions to create a positive connection. Watch as I show how small changes in how we approach someone with dementia can make a big difference. Keep these tips in mind next time you’re visiting a loved one, regardless of their stage of dementia. #dementia #caregiver #alzheimers #dementiaawareness #dementiacare #caregiver #alzheimerssucks #vasculardementia #frontotemporaldementia #lewybodydementia #alzheimersfight #alzheimersdisease #dementiasucks #dementiasupport #caregiversupport #caregivers

“I don’t even know what I’d talk about!” I’ll help you with that! 1. Senses- talk about what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Take a walk around the long term care community and find all the Christmas decorations, see if you can guess what they’re cooking for dinner, or turn on a local radio station and talk about the annoying commercials. Saying things like “Oh, look at that!”, “What do you think about that?”, and “Oh no, what do you think is happening over there?” will facilitate some interactions that do not rely on short term memory. 2. Feelings - Throughout the visit, ask about they feel about things. Sometimes my grandmother will tell me the most off-the-wall story and I’ll assume its something that upsets her. But, before I start consoling her or refuting the story, I simply ask, “How do you feel about that?” and she will state, “Well, it’s fine with me!” 3. Tell a Story- don’t underestimate the mundane events of your life and the kind of interaction it can facilitate. Whether it’s exciting or boring, you can ask them for their advice, their opinion on how you dealt with things, or “can you believe that?!” Try to avoid topics that might be upsetting. 4. Reminisce - Oh, the good ole days. Instead of framing things as, “Do you remember?” you can simply say, “I remember...” and then, “is that right?”  Don’t let intimidation of how the interaction might go keep you from visiting your loved ones with dementia. They just want to know that they are worth your time!  #alzheimerssucks #alzheimersfight #caregiverlife #dementiaadvocate #Dementia #caregivers #Alzheimers #vasculardementia #Lewybodydementia #caregiversupport #earlyonsetalzheimers #dementiasupport #dementiasucks #frontotemporaldementia #memoryloss #MemoryCare #dementiacare #alzheimersdisease #caregiver #dementiaawareness #slp #speechlanguagepathology #slptobe #speechtherapy