Conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease can often pose unique challenges like memory loss. When you’re caring for an aging loved one living with cognitive decline, you need to adapt how you approach communication—taking a proactive approach can go a long way toward strengthening your relationship with them.

While short-term memory loss is challenging, you can work around it. Make sure that you:

• Remove distractions
• Practice patience
• Stay simple
• Prioritize positivity
• Don’t take it personally
• Let us help

Read along as we explore each of these methods that can help you maintain relationships with loved ones who are living with short term memory loss. 

Remove Distractions

Communication is about much more than the spoken word. When short-term memory loss is a factor, you need to think about the environment itself. Loud noises, flashing lights, or distracting visuals can quickly disrupt a conversation and make communication significantly more difficult.

Make sure you’re in a quiet, comfortable place without any clear distractions. This makes it easier for your loved one to focus on the conversation at hand. Try to:

• Turn off nearby electronics
• Choose a quiet and calm area
• Sit face-to-face

This can encourage better engagement and facilitate a smoother conversation.

Practice Patience

Patience is key when communicating with somebody living with short-term memory loss. While it may not be easy at first, try to understand that your loved one needs more time to process information and respond to any questions.

Rushing the conversation will quickly lead to frustration—for both of you. Make sure that you:

• Avoid interrupting or finishing their sentences
• Give them time to express themselves, even if they need to pause
• Show support and love by staying calm

Show genuine interest and empathy through your body language and facial expressions. Your patience can make a big difference in giving your loved one a safe place to communicate in a way that makes sense to them.

Stay Simple

We’re all guilty of being confusing at times—even for people without cognitive impairments. But when memory loss is at play, you need to be extra careful. Complex language or sentence patterns will derail the conversation and cause much more confusion than simpler terms do.

Make a point to keep your language simple. Don’t use jargon, and stay focused on one point at a time. Being straightforward is key here—don’t overwhelm them with too much information at once.

Repetition can be helpful. Repeat any key points or important information that you need to get across. Reinforcement can help them retain the information or remind them of where they are in the conversation.

Prioritize Positivity

Maintaining a positive and upbeat attitude can make a big difference. Even if it’s difficult, make sure you’re constantly showing positive reinforcement throughout the conversation.

This can be an excellent way to boost your loved one’s confidence while encouraging them to contribute more to the conversation. Celebrate the small achievements, and ignore the mistakes—there’s no need to focus on the negative here.

If your loved one forgets where they are in the conversation or gets distracted, try to gently guide them back to the topic at hand. Things may go wrong, but focus on the positive things. Your attitude can make the conversation more enjoyable and show them how much you love and support them. It’s an excellent way to strengthen your relationship through positive affirmation.

Don’t Take It Personally

Whether your loved one’s memory loss is due to age-related changes, cognitive decline, or a medical condition, they’re likely just as frustrated as you are. It’s important to remember that you aren’t the only one facing challenges throughout the conversation. So don’t take it personally.

Even if you’re aware of it, it’s easy to forget that your loved one’s memory loss is a result of something more, rather than a conscious effort to ignore you. It’s not a reflection of your relationship or their feelings toward you—it’s a complicated condition that millions of people live with every day.

Try to keep your perspective in check, and if things become overwhelming, it’s okay to take a step back. There are plenty of resources available to help you through this, and your needs are just as important as everybody else’s. Make a point to relax, breathe, and acknowledge your own feelings as valid. 

This mindset can be excellent for maintaining your composure and mental health.

Let Us Help

At Kingston Residence of Sylvania, we know that memory loss can be complicated. Our team of experienced caregivers is here for you and your loved one through this time, and we’re ready to offer our support.

Schedule a tour with our community to see how we can make a difference. Let’s work together to give your loved one an environment tailored to make them feel loved, valued, and supported—regardless of memory loss.