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Community Care Hospice

1669 Rombach Ave.
Wilmington, OH 45177
Phone: 937.382.5400
Fax: 937.383.3898

Ohio's Community Mercy Hospice

1830 N. Limestone St.
Springfield, OH 45503
Phone: 937.390.9665

Ohio's Hospice at United Church Homes

Chapel Hill
12200 Strausser St. NW
Canal Fulton, OH 44614
Phone: 330.264.4899

Ohio's Hospice at United Church Homes

200 Timberline Dr. #1212
Marietta, OH 45750
Phone: 740.629.9990

Ohio's Hospice LifeCare

1900 Akron Rd.
Wooster, OH 44691
Phone: 330.264.4899

Ohio's Hospice Loving Care

779 London Ave.
Marysville, OH 43040
Phone: 937.644.1928

Ohio's Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties

5940 Long Meadow Dr.
Middletown, OH 45005
Phone: 513.422.0300

Ohio's Hospice of Dayton

324 Wilmington Ave.
Dayton, OH 45420
Phone: 937.256.4490
1.800.653.4490

Ohio's Hospice of Central Ohio

Newark

2269 Cherry Valley Rd.
Newark, OH 43055
Phone: 740.788.1400

Inpatient Care Center

1320 West Main St.
Newark, OH 43055
Phone: 740.344.0379

Ohio's Hospice of Central Ohio at
The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center

410 W 10th Ave - 7th Floor
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614.685.0001

Ohio's Hospice of Fayette County

222 N. Oakland Ave.
Washington Court House, OH 43160
Phone: 740.335.0149

Ohio's Hospice of Miami County

3230 N. Co. Rd. 25A
Troy, OH 45373
Phone: 937.335.5191

Ohio's Hospice of Morrow County

228 South St.
Mount Gilead, OH 43338
Phone: 419.946.9822

Ohio's Hospice

Dayton

7575 Paragon Rd.
Dayton, OH 45459
Phone: 937.256.4490
1.800.653.4490

Cincinnati

11013 Montgomery Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45249
1.800.653.4490

8 Tips for Keeping Connected to Those with Dementia

Loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s benefit from interaction with others. Sometimes we may not know how to best communicate with those experiencing memory problems, which occurs with every form of dementia. Here are some tips for interacting with people with dementia:

  • Conversation with people with dementia will vary dependent on where they are; early stage versus late stage. A key issue with dementia is loss of the ability to plan, reason, and execute a plan. Thus if you ask a yes or no question and it requires reasoning, often the answer will be no, not because they are saying no, but because they cannot decide.
  • Keep conversations simple and stay away from questions except as it pertains to real time: Are you hungry, thirsty, or in pain? Keep each question as a single subject and then wait for an answer. Do not change the question, but if not answered, ask exactly the same question again.
  • Stay away from “do you remember?” In dementia, early on, people do know their memories are worsening, so asking this may increase their frustration.   When looking at pictures, ask what the person thinks is happening in the picture rather than asking them to try to identify the person. This taps into imagination and decreases the stress of trying to remember.
  • Try to keep the environment calm and free of lots of stimulation. When wanting to communicate, turn off the TV and help the person focus to the conversation. Over stimulated persons with dementia may become agitated, aggressive or withdraw.
  • As dementia worsens, the person’s world will get smaller. They often end up in a single room due to inability to cope with the wider environment. This tells you that more stimulation is not what is needed, but that there is an increase in fear due to unrecognized surroundings.
  • Do not yell, shame, or corner a person with dementia. They are adults and often that is known to them. Also, do not use reality orientation. If you ask them how old they are, they may give you a clue as to what period of time they think they are in. It is easier to go to their reality than to drag them into our reality.
  • If they have forgotten who you are, be who they think you are, or introduce yourself at every visit and who you are. If they have forgotten you, do not take it personally. They just cannot remember.
  • Engage the senses as dementia frequently affects left brain function first. Sensory experiences are in the right brain. Aromatherapy, massage, music, quiet environments, lower lights help.

About the Author:

Nancy Sterling Trimble, PhD, RN, CNP is a geriatric Adult Nurse with over 30 years of experience. She has served as a faculty member of Indiana Wesleyan University, Capitol University and Wright State University. Nancy has also contributed numerous articles to clinical publications.

nancytrimble

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