My Husband was non verbal and Hospice dealt with it. They did not expect to get answers from him (he had dementia so asking him questions and expecting answers would have been a problem) I would suggest they do Yes and No questions. But with minimal expectation of getting information. Changes in status should be obtained from the Facility nurse if the nurse has not contacted the Hospice Nurse prior to the scheduled visit. They should be looking for facial cues to determine pain, displeasure, aggravation. There have been some instances where flash card type communication has been used. But with dementia what might be possible today could be impossible tomorrow. They should just talk to her as they normally would talk to anyone else. The CNA should explain to her what is going to be done, before it is done. (" We are going to get you ready for a shower" "I am going to take off your nightgown" "I am going to start the water now". And continue until the CNA is ready to leave.) Any findings the Nurse documents is or should be communicated to the Facility and to you as well if it is unusual. The Nurse could tell mom her blood pressure reading but it would probably not mean anything and if there were a problem you mom would not be able to understand.
My mother gradually lost speech after a huge stroke. We had to learn to improvise in helping her communicate. She couldn’t write or use any device we found. We used lots of yes and no answer type questions. We talked about all manner of subjects, even when she couldn’t respond it was clear she enjoyed hearing about most anything. Often, it was kindest to simply hold her hand. I wish you both peace
That is not uncommon in the late stages of Alzheimer's. It doesn't matter how well a person is trained in dementia, as us humans are not mind readers, and if the person being cared for is not able to make there voice heard, than the best that can be done is to make sure that your mom is kept clean, comfortable, fed and given something to drink on a regular basis.
We were just having this discussion on my local caregivers support group today, as one of the gentlemen's wife is in a nursing facility with late stage Alzheimer's. He tells how hard it is for him to visit her now, because she has lost all of her communication skills. and he has a hard time trying to figure out what she may need or want. And he has been dealing with her for 17 years with Alzheimer's, and has done more research on it than anyone I know. He himself admitted this morning that with all of his knowledge about the disease, when it comes to her not being able to communicate, he feels like he knows nothing.
So just make sure your mom is being well taken care of, is fed and given drinks, and try and enjoy whatever time you may have left with her. God bless you.
If you can afford a tablet or iPad, buy one. There are apps available that are used for non-verbal people to communicate. They tap on buttons, and it says the words aloud. Where once was frustration for not being understood, you would not believe the relief once they could finally communicate.
nothing frustrates my mother more than anything tablet oriented...she's still able to communicate but just trying to work a big button on the tablet is more than she can handle.
I would suggest they do Yes and No questions. But with minimal expectation of getting information. Changes in status should be obtained from the Facility nurse if the nurse has not contacted the Hospice Nurse prior to the scheduled visit.
They should be looking for facial cues to determine pain, displeasure, aggravation.
There have been some instances where flash card type communication has been used. But with dementia what might be possible today could be impossible tomorrow.
They should just talk to her as they normally would talk to anyone else.
The CNA should explain to her what is going to be done, before it is done. (" We are going to get you ready for a shower" "I am going to take off your nightgown" "I am going to start the water now". And continue until the CNA is ready to leave.)
Any findings the Nurse documents is or should be communicated to the Facility and to you as well if it is unusual. The Nurse could tell mom her blood pressure reading but it would probably not mean anything and if there were a problem you mom would not be able to understand.
We were just having this discussion on my local caregivers support group today, as one of the gentlemen's wife is in a nursing facility with late stage Alzheimer's. He tells how hard it is for him to visit her now, because she has lost all of her communication skills. and he has a hard time trying to figure out what she may need or want. And he has been dealing with her for 17 years with Alzheimer's, and has done more research on it than anyone I know. He himself admitted this morning that with all of his knowledge about the disease, when it comes to her not being able to communicate, he feels like he knows nothing.
So just make sure your mom is being well taken care of, is fed and given drinks, and try and enjoy whatever time you may have left with her. God bless you.
https://digitalscribbler.com/blog/5-must-have-aac-apps-for-adults/
Or, is she under Hospice care for a different reason?
Does she have needs that she can’t communicate to the Nursing Home Staff?