A person you have known and loved for a long time is changing. Parkinson's disease has him or her in its grip and you have to watch it.

This is not easy!

In such a stressful situation, communication is very important. If you manage to stay connected and meet others with benevolent understanding, then you are together strong.

All movements are slowed down in people with Parkinson's disease, which also affects oral motor skills and facial expressions. There may also be drive disorders or the onset of dementia. So the thoughts may not be as sharp as they used to be. Under these circumstances, of course, communication is not what it used to be. 

However, my experience is: If you suffer from Parkinson's allows time, arise constructive and valuable conversations.

In fact, I'm often impressed by them wise thoughts and the positive point of view. After all, they have experiences and insights that we as outsiders are denied. If I manage to listen with an open heart, I experience it as an enrichment. (This is one of the reasons why, as an occupational therapist, I particularly enjoy working with people affected by Parkinson's.)

It often helps to draw the affected person's attention to speaking slowly and clearly during a conversation and at the same time to convey: "We have time, I'm happy to listen to you.” This allows him or her to relax, which in turn has a positive effect on communication skills.

But there are also hours or days when nothing works. Unfortunately, this is also part of the disease and can have various causes. In these moments it can be better to let conversations rest and start nonverbal communication to swing around. This includes, for example, smiling, holding hands or sitting quietly together.

By the way, if there are other difficulties such as fast, unclear speech or a very soft voice, it makes sense to consult a speech therapist. There are certain strategies that the sufferer can practice in order to be better understood by those around them.

In summary, the most important points:

• take your time
• Listen calmly
• Draw attention to speaking clearly and slowly
• Use non-verbal communication

You can find more valuable tips to better understand sufferers in my mini guide for Parkinson's companions. It doesn't cost a cent and allows you to make initial improvements immediately.

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