Using linguistic data, this book examines language and communication in dementias and their clinical treatment by language pathologists.

Dementia brings many challenges, not least its ability to disrupt effective communication. The quality of communication plays a major role in how well people living with a dementia manage. When communication doesn't work well, the complications of dementia are compounded. Rather than only offering tips on what to say and how to say it, this book explores the underlying motivations of communication, so we can better understand why we say what we do, why we say it the way we do, what can go wrong, and how attempts to fix things can go awry. As well as considering why communication goes wrong in day-to-day conversations, the chapters offer advice on dealing with awkward moments, the question of deception, and the things we can and can't control in dementia. Readers are asked to reflect on their own role, and how they can manage their own behaviours to avoid unintentionally blocking routes to productive communication. Including clear action points for carers, bystanders and people with a dementia diagnosis, this book shows how to approach communication to improve outcomes.

A guide to more successful communication for the millions of Americans caring for someone with dementia: “Offers a fresh approach and hope.”—NPR Revolutionizing the way we perceive and live with Alzheimer’s, Joanne Koenig Coste offers a practical approach to the emotional well-being of both patients and caregivers that emphasizes relating to patients in their own reality. Her accessible and comprehensive method, which she calls habilitation, works to enhance communication between care partners and patients and has proven successful with thousands of people living with dementia. Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s also offers hundreds of practical tips, including how to: · cope with the diagnosis and adjust to the disease’s progression · help the patient talk about the illness · face the issue of driving · make meals and bath times as pleasant as possible · adjust room design for the patient’s comfort · deal with wandering, paranoia, and aggression “A fine addition to Alzheimer's and caregiving collections.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Promises to transform not only the lives of patients but those of care providers…This book is a gift.”—Sue Levkoff, coauthor of Aging Well

Person-Centered Memory and Communication Interventions for Dementia: A Case Study Approach is the third volume in the “Medical Speech-Language Pathology” book series. It is a practical, peer-reviewed resource for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working with people with dementia. In this unique text, the authors cover a variety of evidence-based clinical procedures for the memory, communication, and behavioral challenges of people with dementia. The aim is to empower SLPs and other clinicians to implement practices that elevate the personhood of people living with various dementia syndromes. Throughout this clinician-friendly text, the authors cover three main areas of focus: elevating personhood, the “how tos” of clinical procedures, and the organizational-level barriers and facilitators to implementation. After an introductory chapter, the next eight chapters describe a detailed case study that explains specific person-centered assessment and treatment methods. The cases depict a diverse group of people providing insights into the range of concerns and joys involved in supporting memory and communication in a manner that is culturally responsive and equitable. Key Features: * The only dementia text that incorporates a culturally responsive approach to cases that reflect the increasing diversity of the aging population * Specific examples of the “how tos” of person-centered, evidence-based care * Detailed personal, assessment, and treatment histories for each case, with a table of goals and intervention procedures, as well as illustrations of memory and communication strategies * Each chapter starts with an “At-A-Glance” section to highlight the person and ends with a summary of key points of the treatment and implementation factors * Uses a highly readable writing style with boxes, tables, and figures to support the text

Drawing extensively on the author's investigations in the fields of normal language use in the elderly population and deteriorating language in the dementias, this book seeks to integrate current research in these areas.