Lady-Links: Encouraging Communication

As Lady-Links, we value our friendships with the dear friends we visit who are in various stages of cognitive decline.  That’s why it is so important to understand the changes in their ability to express themselves.  Our training as Lady-Links includes effective communication strategies with those who are experiencing symptoms of dementia such as memory loss and confusion, but we are always open to additional information.  We are fortunate that our retirement community brings to our campus such organizations as the Alzheimer’s Association to help us in the process of continuing to have meaningful communication with our friends regardless of cognitive ability.

We know that communication with our dear friends takes place mainly in several ways:

• Verbal (Spoken)
• Non-verbal (Body Language)

We keep our verbal communication

• Positive, encouraging and uplifting
• Personal, using their name frequently
• Productive, focusing on memories from the past rather than recent events
• Short, using step-by-step instructions when giving directions.

Our non-verbal communication is just as important, perhaps even more so.  At each visit we

• Smile
• Nod
• Give hand gestures
• Give hugs or pats on the shoulder or arm when appropriate
• Make eye-to-eye contact
• Give visual clues
• Treat our dear friends with respect and love.

As a result, our communication with our dear friends is successful.  This helps them to actively engage in social activities, adding additional meaning and purpose to their lives.

When we encourage communication through appropriate verbal and non-verbal means, we find that our communication encourages and enriches the lives of our dear friends.  And, as always,  plenty of love and laughter are always included!