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[Please
note that the material on this page was current when
it was first posted. For up-to-date information on this
topic, visit the I Have
Alzheimer's Disease section.]
Speaking
Out Media Kit
Jan.
2, 2002
Message
to Family and Friends
These
tips are from the booklet Memory Problems?, produced
by the Early Stage Support Groups in the North/Central
Okanagan Region of the Alzheimer Society of B.C. It was
created by people with dementia for people with dementia.
- Please
don't correct me. I know better -- the information
just isn't available to me at that moment.
- Remember,
my feelings are intact and get hurt easily.
- I
usually know when the wrong word comes out and I'm
as surprised as you are.
- I
need people to speak a little slower on the telephone.
- Try
to ignore off-hand remarks that I wouldn't have made
in the past. If you focus on it, it won't prevent it
from happening again. It just makes me feel worse.
- I
may say something that is real to me but may not be
factual. I am not lying, even if the information is
not correct. Don't argue; it won't solve anything.
- If
I put my clothes on the chair or the floor, it may
be because I can't find them in the closet.
- If
you can anticipate that I am getting into difficulty,
please don't draw attention to it, but try to carefully
help me through it so nobody else will be aware of
the problem.
- At
a large gathering, please keep an eye on me because
I can get lost easily! But please don't shadow my every
move. Use gentle respect to guide me.
- Sometimes
you give me the message that you think I am faking
these problems. What you don't see is my terrible confusion
and my hurt knowing how you feel.
- I
don't mean to frustrate you. I know you get impatient
and tired of telling me things, three times in a row.
Please be patient.
- Ask
me what I think or want. Don't assume that you know.
- Believe
I still love you, even if I am having trouble showing
it.
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