What do I do when my words seem to fail me?
Humans have the amazing capacity to intuitively process, comprehend, and respond to nonverbal cues in their environment. In fact, when engaging in a conversation with another person, your nonverbal language often speaks much louder than your words.
Beyond our vocabulary, which at time feels inadequate or restricting when we are attempting to express deep emotion, we can share our feelings with others through our posture, facial expressions, tone, and movements. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are no exception. While they may suffer from an impaired ability to communicate verbally, they often seem to retain their ability to respond to the nonverbal cues around them. A person with Alzheimer’s can still understand their environment- they know if they are being excluded, looked down upon, or otherwise mistreated.
However, as you might imagine, nonverbal communication is a two way street. We must also learn to interpret the cues of those around us. In patients with Alzheimer’s, attention to body language can often reveal the presence of pain or discomfort. Does your loved one seem unable to get comfortable? Do they suddenly get up and pace around the room? Do you ever notice a grimace on their face? If yes, then invite them to talk to you about these things.
Strong nonverbal communication can also be helpful in managing aggression, agitation, or confusion. At times, a simple touch can do much more than a thousand words could ever hope to do. A hug or a gentle touch on the shoulder says “I’m here for you” in the most powerful way imaginable. Be aware of the power of this sort of communication. Even if you feel as though you are not the “touchy feely” type, you will be surprised to see how those around you will open up once you step outside of your comfort zone.
For more information on Alzheimer’s, or any of your other Colorado estate planning questions, click here to view our Wills and Trusts 101 seminar or call 303-758-0680 to get in touch with one of our Denver elder law attorneys.
Is It Common For A Person Who Is Experiencing The Early Stages Of Alzheimer’s Disease To Begin Losing Their Ability to Verbally Communicate?
In order to answer this question, we must again remind ourselves that the stages and symptoms of Alzheimer’s are unique to the individual experiencing them. Different people with the disease will progress at different rates and experience different symptoms. While symptoms such as memory loss and feelings of frustration, fear, and uncertainty are relatively common, other symptoms are more variable.
While this is not a universal symptom of Alzheimer’s, individuals who do lose their ability to verbally communicate often do so during the middle to late stages of the disease. As Alzheimer’s progresses and the individual’s brain begins to deteriorate, certain bodily functions become impaired. One such bodily function may pertain to the individual’s ability to communicate with others. Early on, this symptom can be detected in an individual’s inability to complete a sentence or find a word that they are looking for. However, as time progresses, speech can deteriorate to the point that it is all together unrecognizable. A person may form complex sentences in which the words have no relative meaning, or they may lose the physical ability to speak overall.
In dementia, as in many neurological diseases, there is always the frightening possibility of miniature strokes. People who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease often experience miniature strokes. Conversely, there are also a number of people who first experience these strokes and then, consequently, develop dementia. In both of these scenarios, a stroke can be responsible for an individual’s loss of speech. In such a situation, speech therapists may be able to work with these individuals and help them regain or improve their ability to speak.
If your loved one experiences a loss of speech early in the course of the disease, you may need to consult your physician. If you are not comfortable with your doctor or the information he provides you with, seek a second opinion. You may also want to get in touch with a specialist. Since miniature strokes can be difficult to detect, even with the help of an MRI, it is important to seek out an experienced neurologist who will also take observable symptoms and family reports into consideration when formulating a diagnosis.
As always, for more information on Alzheimer’s, or any of your other Denver estate planning questions, click here to view our Wills and Trusts 101 seminar or call 303-758-0680 to get in touch with one of our Colorado elder law attorneys.
Does My Loved One Need to be Evaluated? If so, Where Should I Turn for Help?
The answer to this question is yes. When your loved one begins to display the early indicators of dementia (a noticeably elevated level of forgetfulness or confusion), a comprehensive work-up and evaluation by a doctor is necessary. The physician’s examination will help to determine if your loved one’s symptoms could be attributed to other issues such as poor nutrition, depression, drug or alcohol abuse, or organ dysfunction. If the person you are concerned about has not been evaluated in the past, you should first contact a geriatrician or a neurologist. Individuals who have already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease should stay in contact with a geriatric psychiatrist for assistance with behavioral or emotional issues such as anxiety, agitation, and depression.
A list of Colorado physicians specializing in this area can be accessed through physician referral services. Yet, the majority of caregivers get information and recommendations through support groups. For many, it is reassuring to see a doctor that has already provided other caregivers you know with excellent service.
Since everyone is unique, it is important to find the right physician that best fits your needs. If you are not comfortable with one doctor, begin searching for another one. Having a comfortable relationship with your physician is profoundly important in that it will better enable you to ask those difficult questions and gain the information you need.
Diagnosing dementia early can help to influence treatment and work to slow the disease’s progression by pairing the individual with the most effective medications for their case. If, after receiving a comprehensive work-up, your loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, you should notify their primary doctor. They will continue to meet with their primary care doctor for their regular checkups while a geriatrician, psychiatrist, or a neurologist will work with them on issues directly linked to their dementia.
However, in the course of treating your loved one, it is also important to look after the caregiver. Alzheimer’s disease is a family illness, and often takes a toll on the stress level of the caregiver. By offering support to the caregiver, as well as the patient, a physician can also work to better facilitate effective caregiving within the family unit and the home.
For more information on Alzheimer’s, or any of your other Denver elder law questions, click here to view our Wills and Trusts 101 seminar or call or call 303-758-0680 to get in touch with one of our Denver estate planning attorneys.
Not Every Colorado Estate Must Be Probated
It’s interesting to see how many people come into our office with probate forms in hand that they purchased from the Denver probate court. They come to us for help because the process of filling out the forms is somewhat daunting. More often that not, there was no need to buy the forms or even get started on a probate process since the estate they are dealing with doesn’t need to go through a Colorado probate at all.
Surviving spouses usually think the estate of their deceased spouse must go through a Colorado probate. They don’t understand that jointly titled assets will pass directly to the surviving joint tenant when one spouse dies. All that is necessary to clear title to that property into the name of the surviving spouse is simply the filing of the spouse’s death certificate. Ninety five percent of married couples own their real estate in joint tenancy.
Automobiles are usually owned between spouses as joint tenants. Even when cars or trucks are owned only in the name of the deceased spouse, title can be switched to the surviving spouse at the DMV with only a one page form called a small estate affidavit. This does not involve probate and can be done ten days after the deceased owner’s death.
Credit union and bank accounts held in joint tenancy can be changed to the name of the surviving spouse simply by tendering an original death certificate. The same thing can be done with jointly titled mutual funds or brokerage accounts.
Many estates are more complicated than what I have just described; however, the vast majority of estates that we see are relatively simple and do not involve a probate–particularly between spouses when one spouse survives and most of the property was in joint tenancy.
When the second spouse dies and the property passes down to the children, it’s another story. Proper planning to avoid probate through a Colorado living trust, PODs, TODs and beneficiary designations on life insurance, IRAs and 401(k)s is relatively simple.
Our firm offers FREE guides for anyone who wants to know the basics of probate and how to avoid it…Get your copy of The Colorado Guide to Probate and The Colorado Guide to Living Trusts today!