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VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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My mom has had dementia for several years. She is now having a difficult time finding her words. Because of this I find that she is speaking less. Will speech therapy help?
Has your Mom been evaluated for a TIA or a stroke? Is your Mom also having trouble chewing her food, or having trouble with swallowing food or liquids? Speech therapy may help, but only the person who evaluates your Mom can tell you whether speech therapy will be helpful. Talk to your Doctor and ask him/her for a Speech Evaluation. Hopefully having Speech Therapy will help your Mom. Good Luck and God Bless.
I don't believe she has had a stroke as she has no trouble chewing or swallowing food. Fortunately, she still has a great appetite. This evening was wonderful, she spoke just as clear as she always did. However, I will definitely take your advise and ask her doctor for a speech evaluation. Thank you.
My husband and I were thinking or debating on doing anything that we felt was unnecessary because that is our thinking, but she (my mil) could maybe benefit from this.
No. Speech Therapy is more for disorders like dysphagia, stroke - where the person learns to use the throat muscles again.
Memory care might help the memory - I don't know about that - but my husband had dysphagia and the speech therapy helped him to swallow and to speak clearly.
As I understand it, speech therapists work with their patients on physiological and psychological impairments and obstacles. Your mother's difficulties are cognitive in origin. So I shouldn't have thought speech therapy would be able to do anything for her.
Having said that, it probably wouldn't hurt to try; and as an added bonus a qualified SLT can monitor swallowing reflexes, too. Just watch out in case your mother is demoralised or confused by the exercises, and be ready to call a halt.
What really might help her, though, is "singing for the brain." Music seems to use a different pathway and people are able to recollect lyrics with tunes long after they have started having difficulty with spoken language.
I think what happened with my Husband was this...And he never was a talker so this may or may not be happening with your Mom. As the Dementia progressed and he found it difficult to find the words he wanted he just talked less and less. This might have to do with being afraid that others will notice that "there is something" wrong or embarrassed about the confusion. There were some things he would say but mostly he pointed or when he was more mobile he would just walk in the direction he wanted to go. As the Dementia progressed even more I just simply took care of his needs and he accepted that although he always was an easy to please guy.
And if you find yourself "helping" her with words like finishing a sentence or giving her the right word she is looking for she may figure why bother talking if "they" are just going to talk for me. As frustrating as it might be sometimes let her finish what she wants to say. If it makes sense great, if it doesn't that's fine as well. But don't say..."that makes no sense at all, what are you talking about" .. as that will discourage further conversation.
Every person’s AD or dementia journey is different. There is no harm in trying. For my mother speech therapy has been a good experience. I don’t honestly know whether it “helped” her speak better, but it is something she enjoys. And by us being in the room during the sessions, it enabled us to communicate with her better, using some of the techniques the therapist taught (e.g. word association, picture recognition, etc). It also enabled my mother to ask for help with words when she wants the help. So it depends on three things: the person giving the therapy, the person receiving the therapy, and whether they gel. Wishing you the best.
Read about Aphasia. I had a client who was quite intelligent and simply could not find the words due to brain functioning. I learned to not 'find or give her the words,' as this frustrated her more. I learned to be with her, patiently, while she searched her brain. Sometimes she came up with the words; other times I asked her to describe 'it' and we figured it out together. See below.
What Causes Aphasia? The National Aphasia Association (NAA) explains that this communication disorder affects speech, reading and writing abilities and almost always occurs following a brain injury (i.e., a stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection). For instance, 25 to 40 percent of stroke survivors develop aphasia.
Common in older patients after the incidence of a stroke, aphasia can range from severe—making communication via speech, reading, or writing completely non-existent—to mild, where patients suffer specific language issues (i.e., inability to read, put words in the proper order, or recall certain everyday objects).
I have primary progressive aphasia I am 60 they don’t what causing it. The speech and language pathologist at the Mayo clinic in Rochester told me to read out loud slowly. I get frustrated every time out loud. So I would not recommend reading out loud.
Finding the words is the problem and very frustrating for the individual if in early stages of Dementia. But later stages...I would say the brain is damaged to the point of never getting those words back. My Mom could not put a sentence together. Her mind jumped around. She could not follow directions or learn. So, it probably depends on what stage your LO is in. Never hurts to try.
Sorry to say it will only get worse. My mom hardly talks now but occasionally she will say good morning or good night when I say it to her. Every night when I tuck her in bed I say "I love you" and on the rare occasion she will actually say "I love you too" and it is a bright spot for my day. Sometimes she gets talkative for a short time and she will just say words like they mean something. I just say ok and say something back like I understood. Every now and then she will say "Thank you" when I help her with something. She is very hard of hearing as well so I am sure that adds to her lack of communication.
My Mom has the same difficulty finding words and often substitutes others. She will say coffee when she means tea. Or, sometimes word fail her completely.
A neuro-psychiatric evaluation helped to identify what parts of my mother’s brain functions were affected by her dementia.
It was a thorough process conducted by a neurologist and her team.
The neurologist can also explain the findings to you which will help you understand your mother’s condition better, and be a better advocate for her needs.
I agree with what others have said about positive benefits of speech therapy.
I went through this with my sister, who had MS . . .loss of speech cognizance is common. What she needs is constant VERBAL communication with people who will speak with her and keep her mind active. This is not dementia, but a neurological deterioration that cannot be corrected. However, when I was with my sister on rare occasions, I noticed that her 'memory' improved over the days I was there talking with her on a regular basis. Perhaps old-age dementia might be different, but when my MIL reached 95 and was having troubles carrying on the simplest of conversations, just being with her gave her the ability to express herself quite clearly. Only someone who is there on a regular basis can be the serious determinate-or of how the "deterioration" continues. Remember, the patient wants to communicate. . . listen -- and encourage!
Thank you everyone for your responses. They have all been helpful. I will definitely move forward with both a speech therapist and a music therapist. I think she will enjoy the music therapy as I sing Frank Sinatra songs to her while giving her a shower. Much appreciated.
You may wish to research brain synapses, which assists with finding the right words etc. My 93 year old mother-in-law had advanced Alzheimers. Her challenge with expressing herself was that she would point to a tree and out of frustration say; 'That thing'! Thereafter, many 'things' were then were referred to as 'that thing', and pretty soon it was difficult to have any idea what she was talking about.
However, we did have some degree of success with a mushroom supplement, known for helping brain synapses. "Lion's Mane" is the supplement which we gave her daily. It took about a month of daily doses, but to our amazement she gradually got away from using 'that thing' to describe what she wanted to talk about. Instead she began to say the correct descriptive word as she pointed, "That tree, shrub, fence." etc. Her vocabulary actually improved - yes even at age 93! :-) So, don't give up! There is hope to be found, you just have to seek to find it.
If you do a Google search for "Lion's Mane" you can research it from there, but this is the first description which comes up: "Lion's Mane improves the growth rate of new nerve cells, the development of axon and dendrite connections (synapses) between neurons, and survival of neurons. This is relevant to the human brain, because the brain is basically a mesh of about 100 billion neurons with trillions of interconnections."
My mother-in-law unfortunately passed on from a sudden undetected abdominal cavity tumor, but at least she was able to express herself better not long before her last days.
Speech therapists do much more than just help with swallowing and stroke. Their expertise has changed notably over the years. Their training emphasizes cognitive issues as well, and they help with a variety of problems. They've been great with my mom. They are a very nice complement to someone like a neuropsychologist. I had now idea how much they could help with cognition until I saw several speech therapists work with my mom.
One thing regarding speech with my late, 94 year-old mother was a few things~~ #1 She would forget product names, e.g. calling Cheerios "little round things. #2 She would call people by someone else's name & it was someone she knew. She mixed up relatives in her mind. #3 She would speak over me. #4 She would go silent.
I once accompanied a person to a ophthalmologist as that person had a stroke and his goal was to drive again. He was willing to have a car modified with hand operated devices, or however they modify a car for a person with one sided weakness. Of course to get his license back he needed an eye exam. After his evaluation the ophthalmologist explained to us this person had no peripheral vision & would not sign off to pass the eye test for DVM. As the doctor explained, there was nothing wrong with the person’s eyes, per se, and the problem was the stroke’s damage to the person’s brain. His brain was damaged from the stroke & the left side of each eye was affected. Patient was told that this will never improve. Thus a “brain” issue vs an “eye” issue. Maybe this experience can help better explain your mom’s status- that her brain isn’t working correctly to send the necessary messages from her brain for the person to be directed to speak. To support that, you say your mom has periods where she speaks correctly and succinctly which to me again points to a cognitive issue. I think the world of Speech Therapists. They have such a skill set and can assist in many diagnoses- post CVA, dysphasia, etc. But if the brain nerve synapses aren’t firing properly that can’t be fixed. That said, sure, have her evaluated; can’t hurt. But I agree with posters above that encourage the use of music therapy. My mother loved Frank Sinatra, Nat Cole, Tony Bennett, Johnnie Mathis. I agree that music has a special pathway in the brain as my mom could hum along to those songs at really enjoyed music. If your mom is speaking on one day & not speaking the next most likely this is from brain damage from the CVA. I encourage Music Therapy as a first option. Good luck!
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Memory care might help the memory - I don't know about that - but my husband had dysphagia and the speech therapy helped him to swallow and to speak clearly.
Having said that, it probably wouldn't hurt to try; and as an added bonus a qualified SLT can monitor swallowing reflexes, too. Just watch out in case your mother is demoralised or confused by the exercises, and be ready to call a halt.
What really might help her, though, is "singing for the brain." Music seems to use a different pathway and people are able to recollect lyrics with tunes long after they have started having difficulty with spoken language.
As the Dementia progressed and he found it difficult to find the words he wanted he just talked less and less. This might have to do with being afraid that others will notice that "there is something" wrong or embarrassed about the confusion.
There were some things he would say but mostly he pointed or when he was more mobile he would just walk in the direction he wanted to go.
As the Dementia progressed even more I just simply took care of his needs and he accepted that although he always was an easy to please guy.
And if you find yourself "helping" her with words like finishing a sentence or giving her the right word she is looking for she may figure why bother talking if "they" are just going to talk for me.
As frustrating as it might be sometimes let her finish what she wants to say. If it makes sense great, if it doesn't that's fine as well. But don't say..."that makes no sense at all, what are you talking about" .. as that will discourage further conversation.
What Causes Aphasia?
The National Aphasia Association (NAA) explains that this communication disorder affects speech, reading and writing abilities and almost always occurs following a brain injury (i.e., a stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection). For instance, 25 to 40 percent of stroke survivors develop aphasia.
Common in older patients after the incidence of a stroke, aphasia can range from severe—making communication via speech, reading, or writing completely non-existent—to mild, where patients suffer specific language issues (i.e., inability to read, put words in the proper order, or recall certain everyday objects).
A neuro-psychiatric evaluation helped to identify what parts of my mother’s brain functions were affected by her dementia.
It was a thorough process conducted by a neurologist and her team.
The neurologist can also explain the findings to you which will help you understand your mother’s condition better, and be a better advocate for her needs.
I agree with what others have said about positive benefits of speech therapy.
All best to you and your mother.
You may wish to research brain synapses, which assists with finding the right words etc. My 93 year old mother-in-law had advanced Alzheimers. Her challenge with expressing herself was that she would point to a tree and out of frustration say; 'That thing'! Thereafter, many 'things' were then were referred to as 'that thing', and pretty soon it was difficult to have any idea what she was talking about.
However, we did have some degree of success with a mushroom supplement, known for helping brain synapses. "Lion's Mane" is the supplement which we gave her daily. It took about a month of daily doses, but to our amazement she gradually got away from using 'that thing' to describe what she wanted to talk about. Instead she began to say the correct descriptive word as she pointed, "That tree, shrub, fence." etc. Her vocabulary actually improved - yes even at age 93! :-) So, don't give up! There is hope to be found, you just have to seek to find it.
If you do a Google search for "Lion's Mane" you can research it from there, but this is the first description which comes up: "Lion's Mane improves the growth rate of new nerve cells, the development of axon and dendrite connections (synapses) between neurons, and survival of neurons. This is relevant to the human brain, because the brain is basically a mesh of about 100 billion neurons with trillions of interconnections."
My mother-in-law unfortunately passed on from a sudden undetected abdominal cavity tumor, but at least she was able to express herself better not long before her last days.
Bless you!
#1 She would forget product names, e.g. calling Cheerios "little round things.
#2 She would call people by someone else's name & it was someone she knew. She mixed up relatives in her mind.
#3 She would speak over me.
#4 She would go silent.
Of course to get his license back he needed an eye exam.
After his evaluation the ophthalmologist explained to us this person had no peripheral vision & would not sign off to pass the eye test for DVM.
As the doctor explained, there was nothing wrong with the person’s eyes, per se, and the problem was the stroke’s damage to the person’s brain. His brain was damaged from the stroke & the left side of each eye was affected. Patient was told that this will never improve.
Thus a “brain” issue vs an “eye” issue.
Maybe this experience can help better explain your mom’s status- that her brain isn’t working correctly to send the necessary messages from her brain for the person to be directed to speak. To support that, you say your mom has periods where she speaks correctly and succinctly which to me again points to a cognitive issue.
I think the world of Speech Therapists. They have such a skill set and can assist in many diagnoses- post CVA, dysphasia, etc. But if the brain nerve synapses aren’t firing properly that can’t be fixed.
That said, sure, have her evaluated; can’t hurt.
But I agree with posters above that encourage the use of music therapy. My mother loved Frank Sinatra, Nat Cole, Tony Bennett, Johnnie Mathis. I agree that music has a special pathway in the brain as my mom could hum along to those songs at really enjoyed music.
If your mom is speaking on one day & not speaking the next most likely this is from brain damage from the CVA.
I encourage Music Therapy as a first option.
Good luck!