Understanding Aphasia In Dementia

👋 Welcome back, Careblazers! Today, we're tackling a tough topic: aphasia in dementia. This condition can make communication a real challenge, affecting both understanding and speaking. 🧠💬

In this video, I break down the two main types of aphasia—comprehensive and expressive—and share effective strategies to improve communication. Whether you're a caregiver or a loved one dealing with dementia, understanding these challenges is key to reducing frustration and enhancing connection. 🗣️❤️

👉 Suspect aphasia in someone you care for? A speech therapy evaluation might be the next step. Discover how this can change your approach to dementia care for the better!

#DementiaCare #Aphasia #Caregiving #SpeechTherapy #DementiaSupport #Alzheimers #CaregiverSupport

🔔 Don’t miss out on more helpful videos — hit that subscribe button! Plus, a belly rub for Niko is on the line for every new subscriber. 🐶❤️

🎥 Video To Watch Next:

🗞️ Stay Connected:

🔗 YouTube Playlists To Explore:

#DementiaCare #DementiaAwareness #CaregiverSupport #DementiaHelp #CaregivingTips #dementiadistress #ChallengingDementiaBehaviors
__
📜 DISCLAIMER: The content of this video - or any content by Dementia Careblazers - does not replace the need for healthcare professionals. Our content is not healthcare advice and is not a substitute for your own healthcare. It is for general education only. Do not use this content to self-diagnose or self-treat any health, medical, or physical condition. By consuming content from Dementia Careblazers, you agree to hold harmless and indemnify Dementia Careblazers LLC for any and all losses, injuries, or damages resulting from any and all claims that arise from your use or misuse of this content. All content or recommendations on the company’s website, social media, blog, or email series. All comments from Dementia Careblazers’ are expressions of opinion only.

👩‍🔬 I'm Dr. Natali Edmonds, a board-certified geropsychologist. (A clinical psychologist who specializes in working with older adults.) One day, while hiking a trail, I came up with the idea for Careblazers and I decided to see if posting videos online could provide help to the many other Careblazers in the world who don’t get to have help come directly to them in their homes. I hope that this work helps you in some way on your caregiving journey.
__
It’s our mission to make dementia caregiving easier for families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, or any other type of dementia. We believe that in order to create a more dementia friendly world, we must first create a caregiver friendly world. That's why we create free educational training videos like this one so that anyone with an internet connection can get access to dementia care information.
#careblazer #dementia #dementiacare

[DementiaCareblazers]

Explore our Care Collective for personalized support, live Q&As with dementia experts, and a supportive caregiver community:

[foleyjp]

My husband has aphasia, as diagnosed by his neurologist more than 2 years ago. We went to a speech pathologist about a year ago and husband got so frustrated, he refused to go back to complete the evaluation. It has gotten much worse and is, indeed, a great source of frustration for both of us. Now he also has great difficulty with the written word and has almost completely stopped reading, which was his most precious hobby. It is another source of grief for both of us.

[grammydee]

You are so right at this being a very difficult part of dementia. My Sweetheart has both types of Aphasia and this more than all the other challenges; losing our income, losing his job, safety issues, and medical challenges is where our disagreements and his agitation is a common daily thing. He has lost most nouns and verbs but makes sounds and hand gestures when trying to communicate. It is very hard and we both lose our cool at this, more than any other issue. He did not respond or improve with Speech therapy but they gave me a couple of tactical ideas that worked for a few months. I am open to learning new ideas or anything that helps him communicate and we both to maintain calm, as much as possible, during the time he has left.

[dirtmother]

My mother's aphasia has been mostly fluent - in both ways. The blessing is that she therefore rarely seems to feel frustration about difficulty understanding or difficulty expressing her thoughts.

[vivianpolner]

This was very helpful. My husband has progressed in his dementia. He has this. It helps me to understand more about this. I have to be a mind reader to figure out what he is trying to communicate. Thank you for this.

[winterwunderland]

This information was most helpful. It reminded me that some days when I talk at length he looks confused or perturbed it may be due to apasia. "Sometimes I am the windshield and sometimes I am the bug"

[CindyPorter-lost]

Dr. Natali wish I would've found you sooner. You are absolutely amazing and have so much information to share and I will never be able to thank you enough. The world is Blessed to have you in it. Life is such a struggle and can be very depressing having a mother with dementia/alzheimers, and she's so far away. I have a angel sister that is there for her daily, taking those trips to the facility to find what today will bring. My heart breaks for her because she's doing this without a sibling and poa nieces, help. Two drunk women who only think of their next shot that never take the time to go see our mother. Selling everything she owns when they're not suppose to. Demanding to have Sunday visits from 2-5 without my angel sister being there and only showing up one Sunday a month at 4 and leaves a 5 or at 3 and leaves at 4. Sorry it was good to rant. They're terrible people. But I sent info to my sister who knows alot about these diseases all but the part of taking care of herself. Finding out she has some serious health issues too. All I can do is pray. Thank you thank you thank you

[PadawanAR]

Oh goodness, yes. This is every day with my mother in law, ESPECIALLY during sundowning in the afternoon. There are days she just speaks in word salads and we have no idea what she's talking about.

[martianrobber]

My Mom has entered the stage where she can't understand me sometimes, so this was very helpful. She now has both types. Thank you!

[julieb]

My 86 yo mother with dementia has both types of aphasia. She can read an instruction or question that is written down, but can't do it. She can read very well, but doesn't understand what it says. If I show her or demonstrate what needs to be done, she will imitate me, but still not do it. For example if I sit down in a chair she'll act out like she's going to sit to imitate me, but won't do it. Or if I pull out a chair and pat the seat indicating for her to come sit, she will pat the chair too. If I try to get her to drink and take her glass and act like I'm going to drink and then give it to her, she will do the same thing, but never take a sip! She will often say she's thirsty and I try again, and she just acts out drinking to imitate me and never takes a drink--even though she's just said she's thirsty.

[susanhyslop]

This describes my husband exactly. We have seen a speech therapist but unfortunately she was very young, with a foreign accent and my husband couldn't understand her. This was very distressing and he refused to go to the next meeting. However, when I phoned to cancel it, he was offered a more experiences English speaking therapist. We are now waiting for the appointment to come through. Thank you for your video

[karenoconnell]

Mom is starting to have problems expressing herself. It’s very sad that we are starting to see problems this way. It’s one more part of her that’s disappearing. Her Dr has ordered a speech therapist evaluation and I am hoping for some good ideas on improving this before it’s too late.

[cow]

In my experience with the speech therapist, I didn't learn anything new. However, from this video, I got a great idea. I think I'll print some pictures to help communicate more easily with my loved one because I noticed she responds very well to pictures during our sessions with the speech therapist.

[kimberlyyoung]

Pretty sure my mom is developing aphasia. She's having more and more trouble talking and communicating with us

[cindymobley]

My Aphasia came from a car accident 2 years ago. My head was turned a little to look at the shorter stoplight on the pole so the rear impact force went behind my left eye & Broca's Area. Migraines and headaches daily and if they are really bad, & stress, my Aphasia is worse. This video helped.

[conniewright]

My husband has the comprehensive type. During sundowning, it is really hard to get him to understand simple instructions.

[LindeBremner]

My husband has both kinds of Asphasia. I will check on getting speech therapy. Found this most helpful. Thank you

[rickjulius]

Thank you my dear Dr. Emli, once again you hit the exact issues my Joyce has been experiencing over the past 10 yrs. Joyce, already spent 6 yrs. in speech therapy but it only helped in the first two years, after that it platote and they would not take her anymore because medicare won't pay for anyone who is not show progress. Her's is sort of different because about 75% of the time she can express herself and communicate somewhat clearly to me. Of course I have adapted to understanding her because it is a challenging game for me to really figure out what she is trying to explain to me what she is trying to say. The one thing I have found out and noticed is under normal conversation she replies very good. However, if you ask her a specific question that is when aphasia kicks in. I think and assume it is the stress on her and the brain to quickly come up with the understanding of the question and searching for a proper reply. It just does work under pressure. And it is so ironic that if I try to help her do a craft the brain must through up a block. I say this because another person can come up and give the same instructions and she completely understands it. This also happens when our daughter ask her something or to do something. But let one of our grandchildren ask her to do the same thing she understands immediately. I call this selective listening and replying and I know its the brain doing it. Wonder if others have experiencing this same kind of action from there love one's?

[rebeccaguillory]

This is very helpful, thank you. Suggestion for a video: What do you do when you've made an appointment for your loved one to see a neurologist, they go, then get upset while there and walk out and say they don't want to ever go back and they don't need that kind of doctor and don't want to take any more kinds of medications. Because when you do not have power of attorney you cannot force an adult to do something they do not want to do. But their signs of dementia are getting

[sewtania]

I think my mom has both, but the Broca variant seems worse. I'd love her to go to a speech therapist and a geriatrician as recommended by her GP. The challenge is that in the part of Canada where I live, the patient has to agree. Getting mom to agree to anything is a constant battle with limited success even when recommended by her GP, whom she trusts. Not that she has agreed, but the geriatrician waitlist is 6 to 8 months. Thank you for your videos. They are helping me better understand what is happening.