The incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease will double over the next 20 years. North Carolina currently has more than 150,000 older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease, and by 2030, the total number is projected to rise to more than 294,000. Caregiving of a person with a cognitive impairment can be a distressing role that can lead to care providers developing medical conditions of their own.
The National Center on Caregiving has provided information entitled Caregiver’s Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors with 10 tips for communicating with a person with dementia.
Ten Tips for Communicating with a Person with Dementia
1. Set a positive mood for interaction.
2. Get the person’s attention.
3. State your message clearly.
4. Ask simple answerable questions.
5. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart.
6. Break down activities into a series of steps.
7. When the going gets tough, distract and redirect.
8. Respond with affection and reassurance.
9. Remember the good old days.
10. Maintain your sense of humor.
For additional information, contact the National Center on Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance at: http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=391
For more information join us at the presentation by Beth Barba, PhD, RN, on Delirium in Older Patients, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15 from 12-1 p.m. in Carrington Hall, Room 208.
