Effective Communication Strategies with Dementia Patients: Enhancing Connections

Memory loss doesn’t mean a loss in desire for human connection. Your caregivers want to learn from and connect with residents, just as much as you want them to.

The challenge lies in giving caregivers the tools, resources, and information to equip them. Building relationships with residents can be difficult for a variety of reasons and dementia or Alzheimer’s can complicate that intimate dynamic. 

Let’s work together and dive into how your caregivers can build meaningful relationships with residents over time and manage dementia and Alzheimer’s gracefully.

Not all communication barriers are related to dementia

“Caregivers, both new and experienced, can sometimes become desensitized to symptoms, assuming everything is related to dementia. 

It's crucial for you and your team to establish a baseline of what’s “normal” for each resident as part of their care plan, and to train caregivers on specific symptoms they should monitor. 

Dementia may not be the only condition affecting a resident. Various symptoms or underlying conditions can make it difficult for residents to communicate their needs. These include:

Working with residents in the beginning stages of dementia

Mild dementia can look different for each individual, but it’s generally marked by mild or moderate memory loss—specifically around new information or events. 

Caregivers are responsible for creating an environment that makes it safe to forget. Caregivers and the community should give residents the space to safely reminisce about fond memories and experiences from their past.

Caregivers need to fill in the memory gaps of the present rather than relying on residents to remember an appointment, for example.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Dementia Training For Caregivers: A Guide For Administrators

Working with residents in the moderate stage of dementia

What is a culture? According to Dr. Reddy, a culture is “a set of values, beliefs, and behavior that we learn Moderate dementia is the longest phase, usually between 2-4 years. During this stage it becomes harder and harder to recall new information, and slightly more difficult to recall long-term memories.

It can also be harder to: 

• Express oneself
• Perform activities of daily living (or ADLs) like bathing, dressing, and eating
• Manage emotions and frustration

Here are some strategies to make this process easier on your caregivers:

• Educate them on the symptoms of dementia at each stage and what they should expect. 
• Encourage them to respond with patience, in a calm tone. They are responsible for creating a safe environment for residents, and this is one of the most significant ways they can make an impact.
• Keep questions simple with yes or no answers when possible. This makes it easier for residents to think and make decisions.

Working with residents living with severe dementia

During this stage, residents may lose their ability to speak, walk, and eat. The main goal at this point is to help residents maintain their dignity and quality of life, which means something different for each resident.

What doesn’t change though, is every resident’s need and desire for connection and love. 

With that in mind, caregivers need to be diligent and proactive, anticipating the needs of residents. Before caregivers act, it’s important for them to think about if a resident is in pain, hungry, thirsty, or cold.

Here are some tips to help your caregivers maintain a resident’s dignity and anticipate needs:

• Listen: Encourage caregivers to open their ears and actively listen to what the resident is saying—and isn’t saying. 
• Make it personal: Caregiving isn’t just emotional, it’s physical too. Hugs or a hand on a hand can offer relief and comfort to residents in distress.
• Validate emotions: When residents share concerns in a harsh tone, it might not be that they’re upset. They may be trying to communicate a need and unsure how to resolve it.

PEER LEARNINGS: Learn how A Place At Home utilizes Care Academy to fulfill their caregiver and specialized training needs.

Help your caregivers connect and communicate with residents

Many caregivers long for meaningful, long-term relationships with their residents. You can help them build these from the ground-up with the proper communication techniques, cultural competency skills, and a foundational understanding of dementia and Alzheimer’s. 

It’s true, though, when they say, “When you’ve met one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia.” These tips and tricks are designed to be a loose roadmap to make the caregiving journey easier for your staff. 

As an administrator or community leader, make yourself available as a support resource  - you know these residents too. 

Leveraging a training platform that is scenario-based and keeps caregivers engaged with content will enable these best practices faster so you can be assured your are proving the best care for positive patient outcomes. You can start your free trial of Care Academy today. 

PS: Did we mention that our dementia care curriculum includes 100 hours of Positive Approaches to Care content by Teepa Snow?