Dealing with Dementia Patients Not As Easy As It Looks

Experts recommend slowing down while communicating with dementia patients. They feel the mental process is so slow it could be compared to registering speech under water. Caretakers met at Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital in Ontario to discuss difficulties arising when taking care of patients suffering from dementia or mild Alzheimer's disease. Our Canadian pharmacy follows workshop results, as caretakers help each other think of better ways to deal with dementia patients.

Alzheimer's disease brings in deteriorating brain functioning which generally worsens over time. One of the most important factors to consider is lack of understanding. Patients have a different thought process and react differently to conversation or even instructions. A simple statement may be interpreted literally or in a way that defies logic. Caretakers therefore need patience to deal with sufferers, while at the same time have to develop innovative ways of communicating with patients. Generic Aricept does help in retaining reasoning, memory, and thinking capability.

We often find people raising their voices when dealing with children. It does not indicate a child is not able to see what is being said but responds more promptly to raised voices invoking a feeling of urgency. The same condition exists with dementia patients. Their interpretation of reality may be totally different. Experts during the three-day program found playing along with them needed some practice but could be the best way of dealing with the situation.