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Effective strategies for communicating with an Alzheimer's patient combine patience, respect

Katrina SkevalCommunication can frustrate both a person with Alzheimer‘s disease and his or her family and caregivers, but there are ways to help, says Katrina Skeval, chief program officer for the Alzheimer‘s Association of Central New York. Patience and respect are the keys to strategies like speaking clearly to the patient, waiting for an answer, asking questions one at a time and not correcting the patient‘s faulty memory or speech. Skeval also recomends remaining aware of the patient‘s changing abilities and seeking out the free resources offered by groups such as the Alzheimer‘s Association. The 24-hour hotline phone number is 800-272-3900.

 

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