Unit 4222 371

1550 Words7 Pages
Unit 371 Understand and enable positive interaction and communication with individuals with dementia 1.1 Each person with dementia is unique and difficulties in communicating thoughts and feelings are very individual. There are many causes of dementia, each affecting the brain in different ways. Some changes you might notice include: * Difficulty in finding a word - a related word might be given instead of one they cannot remember * They may speak fluently, but not make sense * They may not be able to understand what you are saying or only be able to grasp part of it * Writing and reading skills may also deteriorate * They may lose the normal social conventions of conversations and interrupt or ignore a speaker, or fail to respond when spoken to * They may have difficulty expressing emotions appropriately Here are ways to encourage communication with a person suffering dementia speak clearly and slowly, using short sentences Make eye contact with the person when they're talking, asking questions, or having other conversations Don’t make them respond quickly, because they may feel pressured if you try to speed up their answers Encourage the person to join in conversations with others where possible Don’t speak on behalf of the person during discussions about their welfare or health issues, as this can make them feel invisible and they may not speak up for themselves in other situations Don’t patronise the person you're looking after, or ridicule what they say Don’t dismiss what the person you're looking after says if they don't answer your question or it seems out of context – instead, show that you've heard them and encourage them to say more about their answer Avoid asking the person to make complicated choices – keep it as simple as possible. You may find that you'll need to use other ways to communicate, and you may have to

More about Unit 4222 371

Open Document