According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, there are 10 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide. This means that every 3 seconds, someone’s diagnosed with this disease.
While we all have word-finding difficulty from time to time, if you’ve noticed it happening frequently to your elderly loved one, it may be indicative of dementia or other cognitive issues. In this case, it’s best to get them into memory care in Roanoke, VA, as the space is set up to accommodate cognitive needs.
So read on to see how our memory care program can help older adults with word-finding difficulty.
A Calmer, Cue-Rich Environment
When someone’s struggling to find the right words, it can be even harder when your brain has to fight noise, clutter, and distractions. This means that brain health in seniors is significantly supported in a senior living community, as the apartment design is made to cater to older adults’ needs.
More specifically, memory care settings are designed to be predictable and soothing. That way, your loved one doesn’t have to work as hard to pull up words. They’re helped through things like:
- Clear signage
- Labeled rooms
- Familiar objects on display
- Quiet dining experiences
When seniors have cues in their surroundings, they won’t have to start from scratch each time they want to say something. This results in more successful exchanges.
Personalized Life Story Tools That Spark the Right Words
In a systematic review of reviews by Subramaniam et al., published in PLOS One, it was found that personalized life story books enhanced communication in people with dementia. This is because it’s easier to find words that are tied to strong memories.
In a memory care program, your loved one will receive help building life story books, as well as memory displays with:
- Photos
- Important places
- Former jobs
- Pets
- Favorite hobbies
When you sit beside these story cues, you’ll find that conversations will flow more naturally. These visual anchors can help your beloved senior retrieve names, places, and other details without feeling pressured or quizzed.
Everyday Conversation Supports That Make Taking Easier
One of the best communication tips for seniors is to make small changes in how you talk to them. The staff members in the memory care will do the following:
- Ask one question at a time, with plenty of pause time
- Offer choice questions instead of open-ended ones
- Use semantic cues (the meaning) and phonemic cues (the first sound)
- Invite describing or gesturing when a word won’t come
- Confirm gently
These strategies can lower frustration, as well as keep conversations moving. More importantly, it’ll help the right word surface without embarrassment.
These are all very easy changes to make, and they’re effective too. So we’d suggest implementing them yourself.
Visual Supports and Simple Tech as a Bridge
We mentioned how personalized life story tools can make it easier for older adults to recall words. There are other visual supports that can help with word-finding difficulty.
Some low-tech tools that memory programs use are:
- Picture cards
- Small photo albums
- Whiteboards
- Category boards
When a senior is struggling to find a word, the staff members can point to a picture or write the first letter to help unlock the word. Many people also like to use tablet apps with big-button picture dictionaries or basic speech-to-text so thoughts aren’t lost.
Gentle Language Exercises That Feel Like Everyday Fun
Speech therapy for seniors may not be fun at times, but senior living communities strive to make language exercises exciting so practicing doesn’t feel like “homework.” They’re experts at weaving language boosting into daily life.
For example, they may have the older adults set the table while naming items. Or if they’re baking, have them call out ingredients.
While spending time together, they may also have the senior go over categories and sorting. For instance, they may say, “Let’s list garden tools” or “Name things you take on a trip.”
Another beneficial exercise is semantic feature analysis (SFA). This requires seniors to talk about:
- What something looks like
- What it’s for
- Where to find it
- What it’s similar to
When you talk about these things, it helps pull the target word into reach.
Music and Reading Aloud to Unlock Speech
Incorporating music and art into cognitive activities for seniors can really make them shine with word recall. All of the following can help words flow when regular speech feels sticky:
- Singing well-loved songs
- Tapping a steady beat
- Reciting poem
- Reading familiar passages
To take the pressure off performing solo, the memory care staff may do choral reading and call-and-response.
Routines That Protect Attention
Two of the most important things regarding memory care activities are consistency and predictability. When seniors have the same times for meals, activities, and rest, this reduces fatigue and confusion, which can worsen word-finding.
For healthy aging, seniors in memory care should always be informed of what’s planned. It’s beneficial to have visual schedules and gentle reminders, as these prepare their brains for who, what, and where. The less surprised they are, the less they’ll struggle with words.
A Confidence-First Culture
If your confidence is shattered, then word-finding can become so much harder. Seniors who feel rushed or corrected may feel deflated, and that can severely hurt communication.
In memory care, the emphasis is on understanding the message, not judging the word. Staff members will make sure to celebrate milestones and successes, giving constant praise. When older adults feel like their success is noticed and that slip-ups are treated as normal, their confidence will grow.
Memory Care Can Help With Word-Finding Difficulty
Word-finding difficulty can be frustrating to deal with, especially if seniors already feel lonely or isolated. Communication is important in staying connected with others, and if they’re struggling to find the right words, they may feel discouraged.
However, a memory care program can help them build confidence and thrive. With the right tools and support, your beloved senior can overcome communication barriers.
TerraBella Pheasant Ridge has a nationally-recognized memory care program that only a small and elite group of US memory care providers have. To schedule a tour at our senior living community in Roanoke, VA, contact us today.
