People with AD become forgetful and easily confused.  Communication is hard for people with AD because they have trouble remembering things.  They may struggle to find words or forget what they want to say. 

Common communication problems include:

• Trouble finding the right word when speaking.
• Problems understanding what words mean.
• Problems paying attention during long conversations.
• Loss of train-of-thought when talking.
• Trouble remembering the steps in common activities, such as cooking a meal, paying bills, getting dressed, or doing laundry.
• Problems blocking out background noises from the radio, TV, telephone calls, or conversations in the room.
• Frustration if communication isn’t working.
• Being very sensitive to touch, tone, and loudness of voices.
• English may not be understood if it was learned as a second language.

To connect with a person who has AD:

• Make eye contact to get his or her attention, and call the person by name.
• Be aware of your tone and how loud you voice is, how you look at the person, and you body language.  For example, standing with your arms folded tightly may send a message of anger or tension.
• Encourage a two-way conversation for as long as possible.  This helps the person with AD feel better about himself or herself.
• Use other methods besides speaking to help the person, such as gentle touching to guide him or her.
• Try distracting someone with AD if communication creates problems.  For example, offer a fun activity such as a snack or a walk around the neighborhood.

To encourage the person with AD to communicate with you:

• Show a warm, loving, matter-of-fact manner.
• Hold the person’s hand while you talk.
• Be open to the person’s concerns, even if he or she is hard to understand.
• Let him or her make some decisions and stay involved.
• Be patient with angry outbursts.  Remember, it’s the illness talking.
• If you become frustrated, take a timeout for yourself.

To speak effectively with a person who has AD:

• Offer simple, step-by-step instructions:
  • Example1: Taking a shower – each direction should be simple with doing one task at a time. 
  • Repeat instructions and allow more time for a response.  Try not to interrupt.
  • Don’t talk about the person as if he or she isn’t there.
  • Don’t talk to the person using “baby talk” or a “baby voice”.

Here are some examples of what you can say:

• “Let’s try this way”, instead of pointing out mistakes.
• “Please do this”, instead of “Don’t do this.”
• “Thanks for helping”, even if the results aren’t perfect.

You also can:

• Ask questions that require a yes or no answer.  For example, you could say, “Are you tired?” instead of “How do you feel?”
• Limit the number of choices.  For example, you could say, “Would you like a hamburger or chicken for dinner?” instead of “What would you like for dinner?”
• Use different words if he or she doesn’t understand what you say the first time.  For example, if you ask the person whether he or she is hungry and you don’t get a response, you could say, “Dinner is ready now.  Let’s eat.”
• Try not to say “Don’t you remember?” or “I told you.”