By Heather Ruenz
SLN staff
It’s estimated 13.6 percent of the population in Walworth County has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia and by the year 2025, that number is expected to jump to 20 percent.
In an effort to increase awareness and offer a better understanding of how to deal with people who have dementia, training sessions were recently offered for county employees. More than 170 Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services staff, along with 21 staff from other county departments attended the training.
“As dementia progresses people lose a lot of what connects them to their community,” Bonnie Beam-Stratz, of the Alzheimer’s Association, who led the training, said.
Beam-Stratz shared two videos about a woman with dementia who lived alone, and was shown taking a city bus to the grocery store and the bank.
In the first video, people that noticed the woman were impatient with her and spoke very fast, and several people walked past her without seeming to notice her.
In the second video, people noticed the woman seemed confused, offered to help, spoke slowly and smiled at her and were patient during their conversations.
Beam-Stratz said the first video showed common responses, the second one, how a smile, patience and the offer to help can diffuse the distress of someone with dementia.
She said when dealing with a person who has Alzheimer’s or dementia include, if they can’t seem to find a word, ask them to describe it or show you what they need it for; and use their first name – they’ve had it throughout their entire lives.
“A person with dementia will gradually have a decreased field of vision until it’s about 18 inches in front of their face so make sure you’re where they can see you,” Beam-Stratz said.
She said dementia patients will often lose verbal skills and as they do so, they’ll focus more on tone of voice and body language, so it’s important to be cognizant of how we’re being perceived.
“When talking to a person with dementia, speak slower but do not talk to them like a child. And sometimes saying ‘we’ rather than ‘you’ can help avoid arguments,” she said.
Beam-Stratz said listening carefully and repeating back what the person said may also be helpful when communicating.
“The two best words you can use with a person with dementia are, ‘I’m sorry.’ Saying you didn’t mean to speak to them that way or didn’t mean to lose your patience can go a long way,” she said.
There is a helpline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for those dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia or their caregivers by calling (800) 272-3900. For additional resources visit dementiafriendsusa.org.
Training open to all
The local Dementia Friendly Community Initiative will offer a free training session from 3:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Matheson Memorial Library, 101 N. Wisconsin St. in Elkhorn.
It will include information about living with dementia and offer simple tips on what people can do to support someone living with the disease. The goal is for those who attend to turn the new understanding they gain in the training into practical actions.
“By helping everyone in a community understand what dementia is and how it affects families, each of us can make a difference for people touched by dementia,” a brochure about the training states.
The training is open to anyone interested in attending but space is limited so reservations are requested by calling (262) 320-7325.
