Do’s
- Give short, one sentence explanations
- Allow plenty of time for comprehension
- Repeat instructions or sentences exactly the same way
- Eliminate ‘but’ from your vocabulary; substitute ‘nevertheless’
- Avoid insistence
- Agree with them or distract them to a different subject or activity
- Leave the room if necessary, or have the patient step out of the room
- Respond to the feelings rather than the words
- Be patient and cheerful and reassuring
- Go with the flow
Don’t ‘s
- Don’t reason
- Don’t argue
- Don’t confront
- Don’t remind them they forget
- Don’t question recent memory
- Don’t take it personally
For more information, read: Caring Conversations: How to Communicate with those with Memory Loss from Alzheimer’s Orange County.
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