Effective Communication With Loved Ones With Dementia Premieres on UW-Led YouTube Program

Valuable information on effective communication with loved ones living with dementia will be available beginning Wednesday, Feb. 19, on “Once Again,” the YouTube channel program hosted by the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA).

The YouTube program, produced by the Wyoming Dementia Together (WDT) Caregiver Network, will feature Carol Taylor, from Jackson, who has worked extensively in the field of geriatric social work and has taught these strategies -- and used them herself -- throughout her career.

To find the WDT YouTube channel, go here. The program also may be found through the YouTube search feature by accessing “Wyoming Dementia Together - Once Again.”

Viewers are invited to subscribe to the channel and hit the “like” button. Both actions will help the channel grow and reach more caregivers of loved ones with dementia. Comments and questions from viewers are encouraged in the section below the posted interview.

The most primal human need is the need to be heard, Taylor says in the latest program.

“It is important to learn how we can best support our loved ones in assuring they are heard,” Taylor says. “There are several useful strategies. It is actually enlightened communication -- or hearing beyond the spoken word -- to help us read thoughts, words and emotions. It’s also important to learn what works and why.”

Taylor recommends one such strategy, called AAAR (acknowledge, affirm, attend and redirect).

“First, we need to acknowledge our loved one, look directly at them,” she says. “Then, we need to affirm to them that they’re being heard, by repeating what they say to us, or mirroring their gestures. We also need to attend to their observed needs. Finally, we can redirect -- or move on or engage in another activity.”

“Once Again” is coordinated through the WYCOA-sponsored WDT group, which includes dementia care professionals, licensed clinical social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and caregivers. WDT began meeting in fall 2020 and has since been offering virtual network sessions every other week.

For information about free services offered by WDT, call WyCOA at (307) 766-2829 or email wycoa@uwyo.edu.

For more information, go to the WDT Caregiver Network website.