an article of Lucia Pardopsychologist specializing in the field of aging and author of the blog In this article I would like to talk about the cognitive decline and how to communicate with a person who suffers from it. And it is that this is a very important aspect when we interact daily with a person with reduced cognitive abilities (due, for example, to neurodegenerative dementia), either at home with our family member or in the residence where we work.
One of the most common symptoms in most of the neurodegenerative dementiasin advanced stages, are those of behavioral type. I mean, for example, walking without purpose (erratic wandering), physical aggressiveness, shouting or inappropriate language. All these symptoms are accompanied by great anxiety for the person who suffers them, but also for those around them. These behavioral reactions of the person with dementia can have different causes, such as hallucinations. But we know that the environment also plays a very important role. And I am not only referring to the physical environment, but also to the interaction with others (social environment). Sometimes, these reactions that are so inappropriate for us by people with dementia are simple reactions to physical stimuli or interaction with others. What can we do? I would like to present you with some guidelines or advice for interacting with people with cognitive impairment, which can facilitate communication with the person, as well as help to reduce or prevent the appearance of behavioral agitation. 1. Approach aheadWhen you intend to address a person with cognitive impairment, the first thing to do is approach them from the front, never from behind. The person will not anticipate that we are approaching and will most likely be scared if we talk behind their backs. 2. Talk to him when you have approachedAnother important aspect is to avoid talking to him from afar, even if we are in his field of vision. To address the person with cognitive impairment, we will always wait to get closer, ahead, and be with him or her. 3. Get down to itWhen preparing to speak to the person with dementia, we must put ourselves at their level. That is, our eyes must be at the level of his eyes. If the person is sitting, we will sit or crouch in front of him or her. 4. Look into his eyesWhen you talk to the person, always look them in the eye, let them know that you are talking to them. 5. Talk slowlyThe processing capacity of people with cognitive impairment is limited, so speaking to them slowly will favor understanding of the message.
6. Use an appropriate tone of voiceWe know that older people can have hearing problems, but that does not mean we should shout at them. We can regulate the tone of voice depending on how we see that the person understands us better. 7. Use short phrases and simple wordsThe attention span of people with cognitive impairment is low, so try to make your message clear, short and simple. Use as few words as possible and as simple as possible (which does not mean that you have to use baby language, just avoid complex words). 8. Talk to him about what is presentWhen talking to the person with dementia, always refer to aspects of the present moment and, if possible, what they can see at that moment. It is convenient to avoid talking about events that will take place in the future (“tomorrow we will go to the doctor”) and refer to the present moment (“we have an appointment with the doctor, we are going to get ready”).
In addition, we will avoid talking to you about people or objects that you cannot see at that moment; It is preferable to talk about the person when they are present, or bring the object we are talking about closer to them. 9. Be understandingMost importantly, understand that the person with cognitive impairment has reduced abilities, which prevents them from behaving like any other person without this affectation. Use your empathy, try to understand their situation and put yourself in their place. Treat her with love, she will thank you. Before closing, I would like to emphasize that these guidelines are for interacting with people with cognitive impairment and/or dementia. This implies that their cognitive abilities are diminished, unlike healthy older people.
About the author: Lucia Pardo
Lucia Pardo She is a psychologist, graduated from the University of Santiago de Compostela, and specialized in the field of aging with a Master’s Degree in Psychogerontology. She currently continues to train through different courses and is completing the Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology at UNED.
She is the author of the blog a platform through which its author spreads her enthusiasm for topics related to psychology through posts focused on psychology in general, psychology within the field of aging and professional practice.