Communicating with a loved one with dementia in Bromley

If you are caring for a loved one at home who is living with dementia, you may notice that as the disease progresses you will need to adjust the way that you communicate with them.

As a progressive illness, your loved one may find it more difficult to remember and process new information and communicate their needs and emotions.

Here at Home Instead Bromley, Chislehurst & Orpington, we understand the challenges that caring for a person at home with dementia may have, especially when it comes to communication.  We ensure that all our care professionals receive detailed training to understand the best ways to communicate with a person living with dementia receiving care at home. We also understand that no two people living with dementia have the same experience. At Home Instead Bromley, we ensure that we put together a comprehensive and personalised home care plan to meet the needs of your loved one.

When providing care at home for a person living with dementia, it is important to encourage them to continue to try and communicate as best they can. You may notice that as their dementia progresses, they initiate conversations less frequently. This is a normal progression, and encouragement and patience can help.

• Ensure that you are speaking slowly and clearly.
• Where possible, use short sentences.
• Be patient. A person living with dementia may take longer to process information.
• Encourage them to speak for themselves when possible, during conversations that are about them (for instance when speaking to health care professionals)
• Never patronise or rush a person living with dementia.
• When offering choices, try and keep it simple and avoid complicated choices or options.
• Always acknowledge and encourage your loved one when they speak.
• Use body language and facial expressions to communicate with your loved one and pay attention to their body language. This is even more important when a person with dementia loses the ability to communicate with language.

These are just some ideas to help you communicate with your loved ones. If you would like to learn more about how you can support a loved one living with dementia, Home Instead Bromley, Chislehurst & Orpington are the leading home care provider in the borough of Bromley, and are running a series of Key to Care workshops, including “How to support a loved one living with Dementia”. The workshops, which will take place in our Coney Hall office, will cover the following topics.

Why has your loved ones’ behaviour changed?

Using the right language and terminology

How to process behavioural changes

Understanding different types of dementia and the associated behaviours

Communication with your loved one

Loneliness and isolation

Restless nights

Our next workshop will take place on the 25^th of July from 10am – 1pm. We are offering these sessions free of charge to anyone in the community who is caring for a loved one at home living with dementia. Please ensure that you book your place in advance to avoid disappointment. Contact Clare Phillips on 020 8658 2535.