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Staying connected guide

Dementia advice

Staying connected has been put together by colleagues and those with personal experience of caring for loved ones, to assist relatives, friends and carers to continue having meaningful conversations with anyone living with dementia.

Listening is key when it comes to communicating with someone living with dementia. Not feeling listened to, or heard, can be a source of great anxiety and frustration to us all – and dementia will only amplify this. As carers and visitors, we have to listen carefully when we are talking to someone with dementia – and look for clues when the meaning isn’t immediately clear.

Inside this guide

Staying connected: A guide to dementia-friendly conversations, is our new guide full of practical pointers for communication, with tips for:

  • Starting a conversation
  • Talking and listening
  • Asking questions
  • Getting out and about
  •  Making the most of a visit
  • Helping children to feel involved
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FAQs

Communication with someone living with dementia can be challenging - but it can also be rewarding. Live in the moment with them, whether that is today or the 1960s, and ask them questions about memories of their childhood. Memory boxes can also prompt conversations.

Avoid open questions or asking questions like, ‘Don't you remember me?’

Instead, try asking simple questions to understand where they are in that moment. Avoid modern words like ‘Google’ or ‘iPhone’, and try not to use irony or sarcasm, as this will likely be lost on someone living with dementia.

These vary depending on the individual and the type of dementia they have, but as dementia is a progressive disease, the symptoms will change over time. Read more about the stages of dementia and behavioural changes. 

The most common signs of dementia include:

  • Repeating questions 
  • 'Walking with purpose', also referred to as wandering or pacing 
  • Sleeping at unusual times due to disruption to the sleep cycle 
  • Feelings of distress causing agitation 
  • Removing clothing 
  • Delusions or hallucinations 

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