How to Communicate When Someone is Living With Dementia
Presented by Teepa Snow
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This session will help learners develop better interaction skills when working with people with Dementia and their families. The goal of this course is to enhance treatment session outcomes and quality of life for those living life with some form of Dementia within their support systems. Emphasis is placed on the value of recognizing changing abilities that impact interaction and performance skills. Utilizing the dementia state ‘GEMS’ assessment model and modifying communication strategies, learners will be able to make better use of retained abilities while acknowledging unrealistic expectations due to dementia. Professionals will be better able to help themselves, as well as guide families and staff they work with, reduce or minimize unproductive conversations and ‘refusals and resistive’ behaviors by using more effective verbal and non-verbal communication and ‘approach techniques’.
Meet your instructor
Teepa Snow
Teepa Snow is an advocate for those living with dementia and has made it her personal mission to help families and professionals better understand how it feels to be living with such challenges and seeks to change and improve life for everyone involved. Her practice has included everything from neuro-intensive care units in…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Treatment Agendas
Participants will be able to describe retained and lost interaction and comprehension skills with the advent and advance of dementing illnesses based on observations during initial approach and interactions.
2. Skills for Effective Communication
In this chapter, participants will use validation and empathetic communication techniques when presented with someone living with dementia, who wants to communicate or is in distress.
3. Effects of Brain Change
This module describes the levels of cognitive impairment based the person’s communication abilities.
4. Skills for Effective Connection
In this chapter, learners will recognize the value of “knowing the person and their history” in effective communication efforts.
5. Understanding People Living with Dementia
In this chapter, learners will recognize the value of “knowing the person and their history” in effective communication efforts.
6. Demonstration of Skill
This chapter uses live demonstrations to teach the Hand Under Hand™ technique and the Positive Physical Apporach™ with GEM™ Stages. The chapter will show how to react appropriately when surprised by their patient/client and give appropriate cues.