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For
more information or interviews, please contact:
Patricia Wilkinson, Manager, Media Relations and Communications, (416)847-2959, or 1-800-616-8816, pwilkinson@alzheimer.ca |
When
Interviewing People With Alzheimer's Disease
People
with Alzheimer's disease have been very generous about
opening up their homes to the media and sharing their
personal experiences of living with a disease that can
make every day activities a challenge and simple conversations
a hardship. When conducting an interview, please be respectful
and sensitive to the unique challenges people with Alzheimer's disease face.
The
journalist should keep the following in mind:
- Be
patient -- don’t finish sentences for the person.
- Speak
slowly and clearly.
- Ask
one simple question at a time. Be aware that you may
have to repeat the question.
- Be
alert to the fact that the interviewee may become tired
or confused.
- A
caregiver will likely be present and may need to help
with the interview.
- Establish
an appropriate length of time for the interview based
on the person’s needs (e.g., some interviewees
may be comfortable with a long interview while others
may only be able to participate in short interviews).
- Consider
providing your questions in advance in written form
so that the person with Alzheimer's disease may prepare
a response.
- Try
to be flexible about when the interview takes place.
A person with Alzheimer's disease may have good days
and bad.
- People
in the later stages of the disease are not able to
conduct interviews. A caregiver will need to speak
on their behalf.
- If
you are filming people with Alzheimer's disease, be aware
that they may have trouble carrying out even simple
instructions. Again, be patient.
- Please
remember that people with Alzheimer's disease often have
trouble expressing themselves and articulating their
thoughts, but they continue to be intelligent and thoughtful
and should be treated with respect.
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