Making Sense of What They Say

Chapter 5: Making Sense Of What They Say 

Overview:

• Explains the importance of being a good listener and lists ways on how to become a better one
• Provides a guide on how to recognise what the person with Alzheimer’s is talking about
• Examples of conversations with someone who has dementia and gives examples of the strategies the author used herself
• Gives guidance on how to make sense of words which seem meaningless and provides encouragement on the importance to keep listening

Description:

This chapter stresses the importance of being a good listener, provides suggestions on how to identify what the other person is actually talking about and gives examples of conversations. It also covers strategies for making sense of the words that people with Alzheimer’s use and gives other examples to demonstrate that the words of someone with Alzheimer’s are rarely meaningless.

Topics:

• The value of listening
  • Show them that they are worth listening by being a good listener
  • Identify and respond to the feeling behind their words
• Recognising what they are talking about
  • The immediate context may provide a clue
  • Their past history may provide clues too
  • Finding and respecting the relevant frame of reference
• Examples
  • Responding to the woman who was crying for her mother
  • Finding a common topic of conversation
  • Encouraging my mother’s singing story
• Making sense of their words
  • The links between ‘wrong’ and right words
  • Assume that there is a link and look for links of likeness
  • The link of likeness may express an attitude or emotion
  • A note about responding to their use of the wrong word
  • Thinking in broader categories
  • Combining several items into one
  • Links between words that occur together
  • Recognising words from the past
• Keep listening - words are rarely meaningless

Speaker / Author:

Jane Crisp

Dr Jane Crisp has retired recently as a lecturer in communication, media studies and women’s studies at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. She now holds an honorary position there as Adjunct Senior Lecturer. When Jane’s mother, who lived in New Zealand, was diagnosed with dementia Jane found her professional studies of great help in her efforts to keep in touch. Since 1990 Jane has been studying the language of people who are dementing and working out strategies for making sense of the way they speak. She has given talks on this work, and had articles published, both in Australia and overseas. 

Jane has spent much time in France, meeting and exchanging ideas with researchers and carers involved with people who are dementing, and visiting specialised care units. She is married, with a son and a brand new granddaughter.

Professional Reviews: