My mom talks so quietly i can barely hear her. When she says something I always have to have her repeat it...sometimes several times...and it makes her irritated. Any advice?
There really isn't any nomal for dementia. Some talk too soft and some too loud and some just right! You have asked her to speak up and she apparently cannot remember, so seems you are stuck with it. Or just pretend you heard her!
My husband with Parkinson has the same, it is irritating, he used to say I had problem hearing. It has to do with throat muscles getting weak, leading also to swallowing problems. i believe it is called dysphagia.
Yes. As my mother's dementia progressed, she was speaking so softly I could barely hear her. She too would get irritated when I'd ask her to repeat what she said. Funny though, she had no problem saying WHAT 1000x and having us repeat ourselves continuously due to her being mostly deaf! 🙄
There was a whole thread here on this very subject in 2016:
It may depend on the type of dementia. It may depend on what portion of her brain has been effected by the dementia. She may actually think she is talking louder than she is. Has she seen a doctor to check her hearing? Is there a problem with her voice that she has problem speaking up? There are exercises that she might be able to do to strengthen the speaking voice. Much like they would do with a person that has had a stroke. You mention that she has Alzheimer's / dementia, is Vascular dementia a possibility as well? Small strokes that go unnoticed could have effected her speech. If this is new I would mention it to her doctor.
This is very common in people with Parkinson's Disease - no history of that?
If this is new for your mother, report it to her doctor. Meanwhile, if she's still able to write, she might find a whiteboard and dry-wipe marker pen, or an Etch-a-Sketch, useful, but in any case make sure you're close to her and that there isn't any other noise so that she doesn't have to strain her voice to make you hear.
Ha! - it is ironic :) Normally caregivers are the ones who end up with sore throats! Hugs to you.
It has to do with throat muscles getting weak, leading also to swallowing problems. i believe it is called dysphagia.
There was a whole thread here on this very subject in 2016:
https://www.agingcare.com/questions/dementia-patients-lose-volume-in-their-speaking-voices-194455.htm?orderby=recent
Good luck to you
It may depend on what portion of her brain has been effected by the dementia.
She may actually think she is talking louder than she is.
Has she seen a doctor to check her hearing?
Is there a problem with her voice that she has problem speaking up? There are exercises that she might be able to do to strengthen the speaking voice. Much like they would do with a person that has had a stroke.
You mention that she has Alzheimer's / dementia, is Vascular dementia a possibility as well? Small strokes that go unnoticed could have effected her speech.
If this is new I would mention it to her doctor.
If this is new for your mother, report it to her doctor. Meanwhile, if she's still able to write, she might find a whiteboard and dry-wipe marker pen, or an Etch-a-Sketch, useful, but in any case make sure you're close to her and that there isn't any other noise so that she doesn't have to strain her voice to make you hear.
Ha! - it is ironic :) Normally caregivers are the ones who end up with sore throats! Hugs to you.