Do dementia patients lose volume in their speaking voices?

I like the suggestions about seeing an ENT and also speech therapy if he's having trouble speaking. However, you mentioned that he seemed to be telling stories in a dramatic fashion. Is he really talking to you or is he just reliving an even for himself? If he's just reliving an event, then there's no need for you to ask him to repeat it. I'd just let it be.

It's all in the context of when he does this.

Take care,
Carol

Alexander4, I don't know if that is common in all kinds of dementia, but it certainly is in Lewy Body Dementia (which my husband had.) Speech therapy helped a lot. He didn't remember to do what the therapist taught him all the time, but I could remind him and that would help for a while.

Have you discussed this with your loved one's doctor? Ask if speech therapy might help.

my dad's voice had also reduced to a gravely whisper. The VA sent him to speech therapy using the LSVT Loud training. Here's a video on the effectiveness below. It made a huge difference in our interaction. Sometimes he will revert to whispering. When that happens we simply say, " use your LOUD voice".
the therapist said that it's a bit of a cycle. They get used to not speaking up. People don't hear them so they don't speak up. Then they get used to not being heard. I asked my dad and he agreed that because it sometimes takes a while for him to process what's being said or asked of him he doesn't speak because the relevance of his comments has passed by the time he gets the words right. So, he just says nothing at all. Not using his voice lowers the volume.

understanding some of the things he is saying
whispers
====
simple answer yes
Some also speak in alphabet soup
loose and mix words and their meanings

loose the ability to speak

My mother was always at least a moderate volume speaker and really got loud with a few glasses of wine. Now it's a whisper and if I ask her to speak louder she almost yells "OK!" but then goes back to whisper next time she says anything. So, is it the dementia or is it something else. No UTI. She is very healthy "otherwise" I think it must be fairly common to lose volume with dementia and maybe also with advanced age.

I have no idea if it's common with Dementia patients or not. But my Momma appears to be horse a lot of times as if she talked loudly for days, when she has always been soft spoken all of her life. Did he ever go see a ENT (Ears, Nose and Throat Specialist)? Momma has seasonal allergies and takes a allergy pill a day which controls her sneezing....but it doesn't do anything for her hoarsness. Keep asking questions to his doctor and in here. I hope you find your answers.

I can only tell you that my husband who has Parkinson's and is starting to get dementia speaks very softly. Most people complain about not being able to hear him. I have been told that with Parkinson's their hearing is more acute and they think they are talking louder when in fact they are speaking softly. There is therapy that actually encourages them to yell to be able to practice speaking louder. I do totally agree with Vecharo.

My mom had Lewy body with parkinsins. As her speach declined, her voice became softer until she finally stopped speaking in sentences. She would say yes or no or tea or juice, just one word answers to questions. However if you asked her if she wanted to say the Hail Mary or our father prayers, she would say every word!

Please check to make sure its not a UTI.My mom passed recently and the dr.thought it was start of dementia, here she was getting urinary infections which have the same signs.I have never heard of either causing lowering of voice.Good Luck.Shame our parents never teach us how to handle these things when we are young.

My husband who is in the late stages of dementia, does the same thing. I can't hear what he's saying most of the time and seems to be telling stories. I just say yes to whatever he's telling me. This seems to satisfy him.