Communication with Dementia Patients

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Communication with Dementia Patients
It is because of the anatomical and physiological alterations that happen to the brain in dementia that the patient encounters difficulties in both receptive and expressive language (Weitzel, 220). Communication problems usually take the form of “memory loss, decreased attention span, impaired judgment, decreased insight, decreased abstraction, and diminished visual/spatial abilities” (Weitzel, 220) and can be an issue when the health care provider does not fully understand how to go about the fiasco.
Among the troublesome manifestation of communication in dementia is the short-term memory loss. The patient still remembers with surprising vividness things that happened many years ago but cannot remember what has been said to them at the moment, they drift from conversations, repetitively ask the same question, or tell the same story (“Communicating Effectively with a Person Living with a Dementia,” 4). Moreover, the patient may begin to say something and forget halfway, or they keep talking about the past. In nursing set up where communication is central to care, this presents a major quagmire. Therefore, learning how to properly engage a demented patient is paramount for all caregivers.
To effectively communicate with Alzheimer’s patient care should be taken in order to gain the patient’s attention, for instance, by calling using the patient’s full name, and not to draw attention to the immediate surroundings. Doing that can easily dissipate any tension between the nurse and the patient, without leaving either of them frustrated.

One effective technique is by using reminiscence where the caregiver involves the patient in simple questions about their past. Since the patient’s long-term memory is intact, they actively engage in such a conversation, and this “helps to overlap the past, present, and future time spheres and helps reduce stress” (Weitzel, 222). There is evidence that asking demented patients about their family, or where they grew up creates favorable moods and brings a sense of well-being because the method leads to “to positive mental health, enhanced self-esteem and improved communication skills” (Dempsey et al., 176). Naturally, if the patient is stress-free then communication will be unhindered.
Works Cited
Communicating Effectively with a Person Living with a Dementia. Public Health Agency, 2018. Web. 27 Mar. 2018.
Dempsey, Laura, et al. “Reminiscence in Dementia: a Concept Analysis.” Dementia 13.2 (2014): 176-192.
Weitzel, Tina, et al. ” Pilot Testing an Educational Intervention to Improve Communication with Patients with Dementia.” Journal for Nurses in Professional Development 27.5 (2011): 220-226.