Adding Flavor
When caregivers face this situation, they need to first assess
who is this person? Although the individual may not be speaking,
their body language is alive with feelings. Is the person happy,
sad? Are they moving around in an agitated manner? What are the
eyes saying? The eyes are the ‘windows of our soul.’ Jack has
learned to read the message in Rose’s eyes and her relaxed body
language. Jack discovers that he needs to pay particular
attention to Rose’s facial expression, as he notes “a special
little smile around Rose’s mouth…………”
Putting it all Together
A large part of communicating with anyone is related to ‘the
knowing.’ Knowing who this person was prior to the dementia.
Jack knows that Rose loves classical music. He knows about her
personhood, and her sense of self? When caregivers have this
information, they are then able to embrace who Rose is, and to
understand her emotions so much better. This truly enhances the
communication process, empowering both the caregiver and the
person.
What Works:
- gentle touch
- understanding the body language
- knowing the person
What Doesn’t Work:
- noisy environment
- rushing the person
- don’t talk about them in front of them
Suggested Readings:
- There’s Still a Person in There; Michael Castleman, Dolores
Gallagher-Thompson, Matthew Naythons; 1999
- Best Friend’s Approach; Virginia Bell, David Troxel; 2002
- Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s; Joanne Koenig Coste; 2004
Gwendolyn deGeest RN,BSN,MA has been working
in dementia care for over two decades and has witnessed the joys
and sorrows of families struggling to maintain a quality of life
for themselves and their loved ones. Gwendolyn’s thesis, “The
Relation Between the Perceived Role of Family and the Behavior
of the Person with Dementia” is published in the American
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, May/June, 2003. This work was
presented at The International Congress of Gerontology,
Vancouver, Canada. Gwendolyn resides in Vancouver, with her
family where she is a professor. Gwendolyn welcomes your
questions/comments at
gmdegeest@cruiserespite.com
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