Living Well With Dementia/LWWD/Well/Communicating

Words, Images, Procedures, and Experiences that Harm

Harmful words and images:

• —  Demented
• —  hostile
• —  Dysfunctional
• —  walking carcass
• —  Incoherent
• —  uncooperative
• —  Empty
• —  difficult
• —  Vegetative
• —  non-compliant
• —  Babbling
• —  Dependent
• —  Confused
• —  Shells
• —  nonhuman

Procedures and Experiences that Harm:

• —  Unnecessary and inappropriate assessments
• —  Being dismissed
• —  Being yelled at or scolded
• —  Using deception
• —  Not acknowledging remaining abilities
• —  Being treated like a child
• —  Being labelled
• —  Being excluded
• —  Focusing on the disease
• —  Being ignored
• —  Being made fun of, teasing or humiliating
• —  Being overprotected
• —  Being invalidated
• —  Being treated as an object
• —  Having things done to them without explanation
• —  Being silenced
• —  When people don’t listen

Suggested Communication Strategies:	Give an example of how you might use this strategy:
1) Remember the basics of good communication
2) Understand the person wants to communicate with you
3) Make a good first impression
4) Create an environment that facilitates good communication
5) Treat the person as an adult
6) Respond to emotional needs
7) Remember the importance of nonverbal communication- yours and theirs
8) Remember that their behaviours communicate a message
9) Do not take the person too literally
10) Use repetition to facilitate better communication
11) Do not argue or confront
12) Speak using positive language
13) Employ humour in communication
14) Be in control of the conversation
15) Don’t take comments personally

Give an example of how you might use each strategy listed above.

From: The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer Care

bestfriendsapproach.com