There are many joys in my life, and one of them is easy, quick, witty conversation and connecting with another person. I treasure the moments my spouse and I still engage in fun communication, and I am aware that one of the characteristics of his diagnosis is to struggle to find the words he wants to say, to track the topic-line in communication and to respond in an appropriate way to the topic. I find he does better when he is not feeling anxious or stressed, so we put plans in place to help prevent that. Such things as: predictability, schedules, taking his medications on time. This does not mean we are rigid, but if we have social plans, I am very sure he knows what to expect, where we are going, what time, what type of activity. It is a technique I used as a young mother, telling my children what was coming up (an event, activity) and what they could expect from that event. I found that greatly lessened any behavioral problems with young children. It also helps with someone with dementia. (This may not be as effective in the types of dementia where short-term memory is greatly affected -- although I think it would still be helpful. A person may just need to inform the person repeatedly.)
We took some great classes from Jim Gardiner, Ph.D., neuropsychologist called "Sharpen Your Brain". One of the techniques we implemented after the class on attention, was to make sure we have each other's attention prior to speaking. That has helped eliminate misunderstanding and frustration.
No comments:
Post a Comment