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Be Patient, Don't Let Him/Her Down and Don't Correct

The idea: Based on her experience with her grandmother, 22-year-old Zeynep gives advice about communicating with a person with Alzheimer's: be patient, don't correct and don't let him or her down.

I am Zeynep from Turkey and I am 22. My grandma had Alzheimer's and she lived with us during her 8 years of Alzheimer's experience. This idea is for the caregivers or the family members who looks after them.

My grandma, her name was Nezaket which means kindness in English, used to say that this is not our house we are in. I tried to explain that it is but she could not be sure. I decided to tell her over and over again and I showed her the house room by room. I am giving an example dialogue: 

Grandma: Zeynep, this is not our home. Let's go home. My children will worry about me. 
Me: No, Grandma. This is our home. We live here for years. You live here for years, too. 
G: I know but let's go home. 
M: Okay Grandma. Let's have a walk around the house, right? 

So I took her and showed every single room and the furniture in them in order to make her understand or remember that the house is ours. 

G: Oh, this bed is the girl's who go to a big school (That's me going to university). She is a nice girl, do you know that? 
M: Really? You should introduce her to me one day Grandma. I want to know her. 
G: Of course, you are nice like her. 

After some time she believed that we are in our house and safe. 

Another point is that you should not insist on correcting them. My grandma used to say that she had tea with a movie star in Turkey, she said that they were neighbours. My mother tried to correct her but there is no harm if she thinks that she had tea with that actress. I began to ask questions about what they ate with tea or what they talked about and she told me everything. Do not try to correct them, pretend to understand and believe them even if they make up events. They will be happy if they feel that you believe them.