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The Next Steps Try Communicating in Different Ways Keep talking, but try different ways of communicating. Sing, whisper, yell (let the staff know what you plan to do first), make sounds like a bird. Be creative. Ask questions with yes and no answers, but also try questions you know they'd want to answer. Always be positive in your questions and ask questions that would get positive responses normally. Be careful not to ask questions like "Don't you wish you could .......?" if they might not be able to do that, we can't predict the future and should be sensitive to that. Try talking about things you know they don't like, but not things that would make them angry or upset. If they're a big fan of a team and you like a different one, try talking about how your team beat theirs. Keep it to things that are lighthearted and they would laugh about them. Tell them jokes and funny stories, read the comics or watch funny movies or shows. Remember, what's important is if the patient will think it's funny. Laughter is a very powerful way to communicate. Keep in mind their hearing may have changed. If they are responsing to other types of stimulation but not sound, try writing your words and showing it to them to see if they respond. Try Touch in Different Ways Be sure health caregivers give oral care a few times a day to stimulate the mouth area. You may want to ask if you can participate in this care. Try using different textures that are furry, smooth, rough or soft and watch for responses. Try different parts of the body. Perhaps the sense of touch in the lower body is coming around faster than upper. This is when being ticklish might work to your advantage to get a response. Put familiar objects in their hand. Show it to them and tell them what it is and that you're going to put it in their hand. Tell them they can hold it if they like. Be sure it's soft and/or pliable and can be squashed if they close their hand on it. Remember to tell them what you are going to do, ask for permission and watch for a response. If you get a reaction to the texture, tell them you're going to repeat it and do it again. Be kind however and do not repeat any action more than 3 times at one try.
With the approval of medical staff, move their arms and legs. If a physical therapist has visited, ask them what you can do. It is important to keep the muscles moving to prevent stiffness. Ask if you can massage their limbs to help with circulation and keep the skin from getting dry. If a physical therapist has been in to visit, ask to learn how to do this to the patient's best benefit. Fix their hair as nicely as possible. If there has been hair loss, find some comfortable bonnets or caps for the patient to wear occasionally. Let them see how nice they are and feel the softness. Sight If the person seems just to stare, position your face -- or whatever should be the center of attention -- exactly where the person's eyes seem to be looking. Stay back about 12" or so and watch for any change of the eye characteristics, facial expression, tears or movement. Remember, their vision may have changed. It could be less or more than before, so you want to try different distances, angles, colors, size of objects and slow movement of the object (center of attention) to watch for a response.
Bring pictures of family and close friends to show the person whenever her or his eyes are open. Hold the picture about one foot from the person's face and slowly move the picture a few inches to each side in case the visual field is impaired. Remember glasses if needed. Show them the cards, emails, flowers or gifts sent to them. Tell them what their looking at and who sent it and what it says or smells like, etc. Use the same techniques described above to improve the chance of a response and watch carefully.
If the person has favorite colors, dress in those colors and bring them into the room. If they may wear personal clothing, bring favorite robes, pajamas, caps and inexpensive jewelry. Some alterations might be necessary, so bring things that can be changed to suit their needs and replaced easily. Taste/Smell
If it is medically all right to place a dot of food or drink on the person's tongue, do so with favorite foods. If you are not allowed to do this, be sure the staff knows which flavors the person prefers.
Bring favorite perfumes or aromas for them to smell occasionally. Remember, if this is done too frequently, the effect will be lost. Keep alergies in mind also. The contents of this Web site are for informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, visitors should not rely on the information provided herein as a substitute for consultation with a qualified health professional. |
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