Questions that involve opinions can be helpful for Alzheimer's patients. “Ask questions that do not have a right or wrong answer, such as 'What do you think about this?
What is the likely course of decline? How long do I have? What symptoms, other than memory loss, can I expect, and what will the pace of decline be? What can I do to slow the decline? (What medicines are effective and what results can I expect from them?
Avoid asking too many open-ended questions about the past, as it could be stressful for a person with dementia if they can't remember the answer. While it might seem polite to ask somebody about their day, it's better to focus on what's happening in the present.
Open-ended questions require people to consider various options and formulate a response—both of which are often confusing to those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. For example, the question, “What would you like to eat for lunch?” forces your loved one to weigh choices and express a decision.
Examples of closed questions are: “How many times did you throw-‐up?” • “What time did you give the Tylenol?” • “Have you been seen for this problem before?” • “Are you having chest pain right now?” concerns do you have today?”
I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.
speak clearly and slowly, using short sentences. make eye contact with the person when they're talking or asking questions. give them time to respond, because they may feel pressured if you try to speed up their answers. encourage them to join in conversations with others, where possible.
Don't overwhelm the person with lengthy statements or reasons. Instead, clarify with a simple explanation. Show photos and other reminders. Use photographs and other thought-provoking items to remind the person of important relationships and places.
The main characteristics of speech and language in people with Alzheimer's dementia include: difficulties in finding words for objects, difficulties with naming, understanding difficulties, and a louder voice when speaking.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a tool that helps healthcare professionals detect mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in people. A 2021 study found that it is a better measure of cognitive function than the MMSE. It consists of 30 questions that take 10–12 minutes to accomplish.
To speak effectively with a person who has Alzheimer's: Offer simple, step-by-step instructions. Repeat instructions and allow more time for a response. Try not to interrupt.
Focus on fond memories – and making new ones.
It's essential to ask broad, leading questions that can help trigger their memories. Many people living with dementia remember their childhood and young adult lives quite vividly. It might be helpful to look at old photos or ask them about family vacations or traditions.
Some of the more common triggers for dementia like a change in environment, having personal space invaded, or being emotionally overwhelmed may be easier to handle if you mentally practice your response before you react.
Over time, the disease causing the dementia spreads to other parts of the brain. This leads to more symptoms because more of the brain is unable to work properly. At the same time, already-damaged areas of the brain become even more affected, causing symptoms the person already has to get worse.
Closed-ended questions come in a multitude of forms, including: multiple choice, drop down, checkboxes, and ranking questions. Each question type doesn't allow the respondent to provide unique or unanticipated answers, but rather, choose from a list of pre-selected options.
Open-ended question examples
How do you think we could improve these meetings? What do you think are the best and worst parts of these meetings and why? If you were to run a meeting one week, what would you do? What does a good team meeting consist of?