How Dementia Effects Language
Dementia is a disease that affects many elderly citizens. This disease is characterized by memory problems that can lead to communication issues, behavior issues and problems in many other aspects of life. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease; studies show that up to 70% of dementia patients have this. Care for dementia patients can range from family and friends checking in on them, all the way up to assisted/nursing home care. Dementia affects language in the following ways:
NAMING
It is a common side effect of dementia to not be able to name common items. In a test where the subject was given a picture or object to look at, dementia patients were significantly worse at name recognition than their non-demented peers (the control group). With demented
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The early stages of dementia are often just seen as “getting old” to those of us who are not trained. In this stage patients find it hard to follow a story through to the end, whether they are telling it or listening to it. Often they will notice everyone laughing but won’t actually understand a joke that was being told. It can also start with subtlety of slower responses to questions.
For middle stage dementia this is where people start to really take note of behavior and language changes. This stage is characterized by a worsening in the ability to not only follow stories but also regular conversations. They will often ask for a repeat of simple instructions, have problems using the right volume for certain settings, and will sometimes not understand expressions of those around them. It is in this stage when you start to notice the repetition of stories and questions. For most caregivers the repetition is what they notice and associate with