Alzheimer’s Caregiving: Changes in Communication Skills

from NIH National Institute on Aging

Communication is hard for people with Alzheimer’s disease because they have trouble remembering things. They may struggle to find words or forget what they want to say. You may feel impatient and wish they could just say what they want, but they can’t.

The person with Alzheimer’s may have problems with:

• Finding the right word or losing his or her train of thought when speaking
• Understanding what words mean
• Paying attention during long conversations
• Remembering the steps in common activities, such as cooking a meal, paying bills, or getting dressed
• Blocking out background noises from the radio, TV, or conversations
• Frustration if communication isn’t working
• Being very sensitive to touch and to the tone and loudness of voices

Also, Alzheimer’s disease causes some people to get confused about language. For example, the person might forget or no longer understand English if it was learned as a second language. Instead, he or she might understand and use only the first language learned, such as Spanish.

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