Alzheimer's Updates
Articles & Tips
Ways to Cope with Confused Persons
| Because confused persons... | Then, you should... |
| ....are very sensitive to the emotions of the people around them, they return that same emotion multiplied many times over. Your minor frustration at their behavior will be reflected in them as a burst of anger. | Smile... confront the person with a smile, regardless of your actual emotional state. |
| ....can't keep track of the meanings of words, and have lost the ability to match an activity to an outcome, they will eat soup with a fork or stick their hands into hot food, or use a bath towel in place of toilet paper | Show and tell...act out and mimic instructions as you give them. |
| ....often can't find the right words, remember that a tummy ache is probably a bowel movement, hunger may be thirst, and a warm marshmallow could be a cigarette. | Be poetic...listen carefully, analyzing the person's actual words so you can discover the meaning. |
| ....can entertain only one thought at a time, if a person says "I wanna go home," say "Okay, let's get ready." Then say you have to get the dismissal forms; give them a form and a pencil, let them try to fill it out, and the urge to "go home" will fade into the complexities of filling out the form. | Go with the flow...go along with the person's request and then distract and cajole back into the behavior you want. |
| ....often simply don't have the logic and tact- coordinating skills required to comprehend the truth, the resulting confusion will just increase the person's anxiety and discomfort. | Do not try to change their beliefs, go along with them. |
| ....hang on desperately to the things they can manage, changing the way they do things confuses them and is extremely stressful. | Organize and anticipate... establish a repeating, regular schedule, based on your anticipation of the person's need. And always perform the operation in the same way. |
| ....are not really directing all this at you personally, you're just the closest object at hand. Rather than over-react and destroy the trust you've created, it's better that you go off to a closet to scream or cry or laugh until you're back in control. | Locate the safety valve...have someone take over for you when your own frustration takes you to the edge. |
| ....have many caregivers attend meetings and share their experiences so that you can learn from their mistakes. | Learn...go to a few support group meetings |
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