{"id":10073,"date":"2020-09-22T15:41:16","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T20:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vitoli.ca\/?p=10073"},"modified":"2025-04-24T11:04:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T15:04:45","slug":"how-to-foster-a-supportive-interaction-with-someone-with-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vitoli.ca\/en\/how-to-foster-a-supportive-interaction-with-someone-with-alzheimers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Foster a Supportive Interaction with Someone with Alzheimer\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As part of World Alzheimer&#8217;s Month, we wanted to present an article that could help you be better equipped to approach someone with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. Whether in a personal or professional context, in order to promote better interactions, it is important to consider a few aspects.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what we suggest:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1- First, approach the person without surprising them<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Approach the person while speaking to them with a soft voice<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you make eye contact with the person while maintaining it<\/li>\n<li>Slowly get closer to the person<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2- Make sure you have their attention<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Minimize or eliminate surrounding noise<\/li>\n<li>Face the person while speaking to them<\/li>\n<li>If the person does not seem to want to interact with you, do not force them. Tell them you&#8217;ll come back later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>3- Keep in mind that you will have better results if you:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Articulate while speaking slowly and gently<\/li>\n<li>Use short, simple sentences to state one instruction at a time<\/li>\n<li>Wait for them to react to what you say before continuing with the conversation or new instruction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>4- If the person with the illness does not seem to understand what you are saying:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Stay calm and try to simplify the statement or instruction<\/li>\n<li>Consider your non-verbal language. Can it help them understand you better?<\/li>\n<li>Gently touch the person on the arm to make sure you have their attention<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>5- Actively listen:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Verbal communication can become difficult for someone with Alzheimer&#8217;s. Try to understand their emotions through gestures as well as the posture of your interlocutor.<\/li>\n<li>Be patient and allow the person you are talking to to complete their sentences or thoughts.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you understand their message. By repeating keywords or summarizing in a simple way what they have told you, your interlocutor will feel listened to and encourage further conversation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The progression of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease makes communication increasingly difficult. It is therefore important to have a good understanding of the impact that non-verbal language can have. Consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Touch:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Taking someone&#8217;s hand shows affection without 50 words. When a person with Alzheimer&#8217;s has difficulty verbalizing their emotions, it is important to take note of the reactions that a touch can elicit (smile vs. discomfort) in order to respect their needs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Distance:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Pay attention to the distance you put between yourself and a person with the illness, along with the reactions it generates. Adapt as a result.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your posture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The posture you take when interacting with someone with Alzheimer&#8217;s can cause them to be alert or calm. A relaxed posture demonstrates without verbalizing, that everything is going well and that you are safe.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gestures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use and interpret the gestures you make and those you receive. Does it invite them to continue the conversation or close it?<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, in order to better equip yourself in order to promote a good interaction with a person with Alzheimer&#8217;s, we invite you to learn as much as possible about this disease and its different stages. A better understanding will allow you to adapt your approach and put into practice the above tips more easily.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Brenda Du Sault<\/strong>\/Physical rehabilitation therapist<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of World Alzheimer&#8217;s Month, we wanted to present an article that could help you be better equipped to approach someone with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. Whether in a personal or professional context, in order to promote better interactions, it is important to consider a few aspects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":620,"featured_media":24716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[87],"tags":[56],"class_list":["post-10073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sarah-morin-physical-rehabilitation-therapist","tag-alzheimers-and-memory"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Foster a Supportive Interaction with Someone with Alzheimer\u2019s - Vitoli<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As part of World Alzheimer&#039;s Month, here is an article that could help you be better equipped to approach someone with Alzheimer&#039;s disease. 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