Also known as advanced or end-stage dementia, late-stage dementia is when symptoms of the disease become the most severe and have the greatest impact on the individual’s functioning. This stage may last from a few months to a few years. During this time, the individual needs full-time help with daily living activities.
Other symptoms of late-stage dementia include:
According to one study, the loss of language skills is a universal, inevitable symptom of dementia. Communication becomes challenging as the individual finds it increasingly difficult to express themselves and understand what others are saying.
In the early and middle stages of memory loss, individuals have difficulty participating in conversations. They may struggle to find the right word for what they want to convey and replace it with an incorrect word. As their condition progresses, they forget the names of friends and family members and lose the ability to speak fluently and track conversations.
The loss of communication skills can bring on a range of emotions for you and your loved one. For individuals with dementia, the inability to express themselves can lead to feelings of anger and frustration, causing them to withdraw. Families and caregivers may experience similar emotions as they try to understand and connect. These emotions highlight the necessity of identifying effective communication strategies for communicating during the late stages of dementia.
While the way you communicate with your loved one with memory loss undoubtedly changes as their condition progresses, there are several strategies you can use to continue relating to your loved one positively.
While your loved one may lose verbal communication skills, their nonverbal communication skills are mostly preserved. In other words, they continue to understand facial expressions and body language, making nonverbal cues more important than ever. As you speak with your loved one, use your body language and facial expressions to convey patience and attentiveness by smiling often and avoiding actions that could indicate frustration, such as crossed arms or clenched fists.
Using hand gestures to illustrate your words can help your loved one decipher your meaning. For example, if you ask them what they’d like to drink, pretend to drink from a cup. This can help reinforce what you’re saying and aid them in keeping up with a conversation.
For many people living with dementia, conversations become increasingly difficult to track, especially if those conversations require parsing out complex sentences and unfamiliar words. Keep sentences short and use simple, familiar words to keep information manageable.
Those with memory loss often revert to an earlier time in their lives, putting their surroundings in that context. Instead of correcting inaccuracies, try to understand the emotion or need behind the statements. For example, maybe the loved one you’re visiting starts talking about needing to get ready for work. Rather than reminding them they’ve been retired for years, try saying something like “That sounds interesting. What do you like most about your job?” This gives them the opportunity to reminisce without having to experience the frustration or confusion of being corrected.
In the late stage of dementia, when engaging your loved one becomes difficult or even impossible, you can maintain a meaningful connection by engaging their senses. For example, for many memory care residents of Bethesda Gardens Loveland, listening to music or smelling flowers in the secure garden provides enrichment and offers a frustration-free way for families to interact with loved ones.
While memory loss requires families to change how they communicate with their loved ones, it also opens up opportunities to connect in new ways.
Learning new forms of communication can be an emotional process. By staying patient and recognizing your loved one’s frustration, you can create an environment that fosters understanding and strengthens your bond.
While you may be used to connecting with your loved one through conversations, changing abilities often require branching out into new forms of communication. Remember, sharing experiences such as listening to music, going for short walks or coloring together can be just as meaningful.
Keep a clear and respectful tone as you speak with your loved one. At the same time, you want to make sure you’re not talking down to the individual or addressing them as though they’re a child.
Learning new communication techniques lets you continue to connect with loved ones in the late stages of dementia. By using simplified words and sentences, practicing patience and finding new ways to share experiences, you can make the journey easier for both of you.
