Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia can be a long, mentally and emotionally taxing journey. These are chronic illnesses that will affect your loved one’s ability to remember and understand basic everyday facts, such as your name, dates, and places. It will also gradually affect the way your loved one communicates.

We know it’s hard, so we asked caregivers who handle personal care in Indiana about how to cope with the changes in communication with dementia patients. Take a look:

• Speak slowly and clearly, but don’t use “baby talk” because this can anger your loved one and make him/her feel like they are being talked down on.
• Ask “yes” or “no” questions as much as possible. Using open-ended questions will only give your loved one a hard time.
• Don’t use slang terms. Your senior might not know what “FOMO” or “LOL” means.
• Don’t use sarcasm or irony. Just like with street slang, these can lead to confusion and even hurt feelings.

This is a lot to digest, and you may slip up a few times, but that’s completely normal. If you start feeling overwhelmed, you can always turn to our home care services for help. Alzheimer’s and dementia care are covered under our companion care in Illinois services.

Intrinsic Home Care, Inc. has your back. So, if you need an extra pair of hands to help take care of your loved one with Alzheimer’s or any type of dementia, dial 312-967-3177.