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15 Alzheimer’s Communication Tips

CBS VIDEO + TIPS CHECKLIST:

Neurologist Dr. Gayatri Devi joins “CBS This Morning” to discuss the challenges behind communicating with and caring for the more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s.


Communicating with Alzheimer’s

  1. Let family & friends know what the person can still do & understand
  2. Avoid criticizing or correcting
  3. Engage them in a place & space with minimal distractions
  4. Give visitors suggestions about how to start conversations
  5. Remind visitors to come when person is at his or her best

  6. Don’t take it personally if you aren’t recognized
  7. Allow them the comfort of their error
  8. Allow them to repeat themselves to clarify, without your jumping in
  9. Allow extra time for a response
  10. Ask one question at a time
  11. Be in their reality. For example, if they want to go to work, instead of telling them they retired 20 years ago, tell them it is a holiday today.
  12. Focus on the strengths they have that maximize independence
  13. Encourage tasks with low safety risks
  14. Ask what they need help with
  15. Ask them what specific frustrations they feel they face

And remember that it is about more than just the patient – so do not criticize the caregivers.

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Peter Berger

With experience in dementia caregiving, public education, and Alzheimer’s-focused writing—and a professional research background shaped in what many consider one of the world’s top laboratories—I work to make complex findings clear, practical, and genuinely helpful for families and professionals providing care.

This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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Welcome

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Weekly was inspired by my mother’s journey with autoimmune dementia and my dad’s with Parkinson’s dementia.

Walking beside them opened my eyes to the confusion, the courage, and the deep humanity found in families and professionals caring for someone they love.

Since its debut in 2007, this site has had one clear mission:
to separate the wheat from the chaff — to highlight only the most essential articles, studies, tools, and videos from the overwhelming river of dementia-related information.
(At last count, Google receives a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every seven minutes.) For anyone seeking clarity or support, that constant flow can be exhausting and discouraging.

Alzheimer’s Weekly filters, translates, and explains what matters most, helping hundreds of thousands of families, clinicians, and care teams around the world make sense of the latest research and best practices.

This site is dedicated to everyone who works—often quietly and tirelessly—to preserve dignity in the community of people living with dementia.


About the Editor

With experience in dementia caregiving, public education, and Alzheimer’s-focused writing—and a professional research background shaped in what many consider one of the world’s top laboratories—I work to make complex findings clear, practical, and genuinely helpful for both families and professionals providing care.

My goal is simple:
Translate the best science into guidance that lightens the load, strengthens understanding, and helps every person with dementia live with dignity.

Peter Berger
Editor, Alzheimer’s Weekly

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