Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Is your loved one having memory troubles? Were they recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia?
Stay connected with them despite the challenges through speech therapy.
Give Them the Support They Need
For someone with dementia, even the simplest everyday activities can be difficult. They may tend to forget crucial information about themselves, their family and their lives.
There are several types of dementia (including Alzheimer’s) but most of them are known to get worse overtime. Speaking with them may turn difficult as they will have a hard time understanding you and expressing themselves.
If you’d like to support your loved one through their troubles, and help them…
… speech therapy can help. With an initial evaluation, your speech-language therapist can determine the best practices and activities to help assist your loved one.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term used for many diseases. It refers to how the damage or loss of brain cells overtime can affect a person’s mental processes. A common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is known as progressive, meaning the effects of dementia increase overtime.
The effects of dementia also include memory loss and decline of cognitive abilities. These can include even simple tasks such as remembering when to take their medicine.
Communication skills are also affected as the individuals with dementia may find it hard to express themselves. Understanding what other people are saying may become difficult as well. Other effects such as depression and anxiety may also contribute to unexpected behaviors.
Is there a cure for dementia?
One of the key factors on why dementia has no cure is the fact that it is caused by a wide number of diseases. In the case of progressive types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, they become severe overtime and recovery is not an option.
There is no absolute cure for dementia, but there are many ways to help a loved one deal with its symptoms. Speech therapy can help in many ways, and it covers the scope of cognitive improvements that is crucial for the long-term.
Dementia and Speech Therapy
Due to the severe effects on the brain, dementia affects many abilities and skills. Here are a few that speech therapy:
AAC are often categorized based on the use of materials and electronics. These factors can affect the accessibility of the system, and needs careful consideration.
Cognition
It is well-known that dementia affects memory, but it also affects other mental skills such as focus and problem solving. One of the ways to help these cognitive deficits is to create books to help jog their memory, and to get them involved in brain activities.Language
As dementia progresses, you and your loved one may have a hard time understanding each other. Speech therapy can assist your loved one into using different techniques to help find words to say, and other communication tips. Your speech-language pathologist can also extend guidance to you and the family to learn more about how you can talk to them better.Swallowing
Your speech therapist can also help with eating, drinking and swallowing activities. In severe cases of dementia, Food and drink may become difficult to swallow for people with dementia. This disorder is also known as dysphagia. Swallowing therapy can help your loved one stay safe as they eat food and recommend new dietary habits to ease swallowing
Our Services
How NK Speech Therapy Can Help
Speech therapy can help you and your loved one practice good communication practices together at the comfort of your home.
Speech Therapy
Your loved one’s speech-language pathologist can help them improve quality of life and maintain independence for a longer time. Through speech, they can exercise their cognitive functions, help prevent symptoms of dementia, and stay connected to their family and friends.
Swallowing Therapy
You and your loved one will learn how to manage their swallowing abilities. Your speech pathologist can help you with new eating practices, as well as dietary habits that may help with the activity.