10 Tips for Approaching Someone with Alzheimer’s
November 2, 2011
Approaching a person with Alzheimer’s is difficult and needs to be done with care and compassion. Most people don’t know what to say or how to act when visiting someone that may or may not remember who they are. In many cases this causes people to refrain from visiting their family members with Alzheimer’s.
When an elderly person has Alzheimer’s, they do not have the ability to understand what is going on. First of all, the person might not remember the people closest to them. It can be the hardest for a family member to hear “Who are you?” when they visit their mom, dad, or grandparents.
Here are some tips for visiting a family member with Alzheimer’s:
- Go slow – wait for this person to notice you before approaching them.
- Make eye contact – Alzheimer’s patients need to see the person before talking to them.
- Sit beside them – Sitting in front of someone with Alzheimer’s my cause them to feel threatened when they become confused.
- Greet them by name and state your relationship – They may be surprised at first then be able to confirm that they know who you are.
- Keep questions simple – be patient and wait for a response. If the response doesn’t come, rephrase the question or ask something differently.
- Refrain from saying “remember when?” – Rather, start with “I remember when” that way the conversation is about feelings rather than actual events.
- Bring Supplies – Sometimes they have trouble conversing so bring along pictures, letters, or trinkets to spark the conversation.
- Talk about the past – Alzheimer’s patients are more likely to forget recent events and remember stories from the past.
- Limit amount of family members – They may get confused if several family members present especially small children.
- Be happy – It makes it easy for an Alzheimer’s patient to respond if you smile.
Alzheimer’s patients enjoy having visitors, especially elderly people who were social before they became ill. Do not be discouraged if they are unable remember much. Instead, focus on spending time together. It takes time and practice for someone with Alzheimer’s to feel comfortable without getting confused by visitors. Keep in mind, it is the disease causing this and to not take it personally if they don’t remember.
