As listening and speaking gets harder with advanced Parkinson’s, it’s easy to feel discouraged, but you have a lot of options to help you improve Parkinson’s disease communication.
Set the Stage
Before any conversation, prepare. When you know that your speech might get quiet and multiple noise sources will distract you, you can set the stage for a successful conversation, says Dolhun.
Here’s how you can get ready:
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- Sit in a quiet, well-lit room, face-to-face with the person you’re speaking to.
- Remove distractions like TV, phones, and the radio.
- Choose a time of day when you have the most energy.
- Have a topic and notes ready beforehand.
- Plan for extra time (no rushing).
Communicating well can mean several things, says Dolhun, who recommends asking yourself, “What do I want or need out of the conversation? How do we work through that together?”
Dolhun recommends dedicating regular time to conversation. For example, one of her patients sits down with their family at the kitchen table every day at 4 p.m., after a nap. This built-in period makes time for talking and connection.
Use Parkinson’s-Friendly Speaking Techniques
Try adopting certain strategies to help you speak more clearly with Parkinson’s:
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- Rest your voice before conversations when you can.
- Take a breath before each sentence or phrase.
- Make sure that the person you’re talking to can see your face.
- Use short sentences.
- Swallow pooled saliva before speaking.
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- For a dry throat or mouth, sip water throughout the conversation and avoid caffeine and alcohol.
- Make sure that you’re comfortable sitting or standing.
- Sit up straight and hold your chin up while you speak.
- Imagine that you’re speaking to people in the back of a big room (without shouting).
- Speak slowly and try to make each word very clear.
- Put emphasis on key words.
As you practice these techniques, you’ll find the combination that gives you the best conversational success.
Practice Conversation Often
The more you practice speaking and listening, the better you’ll get at it. “You’re building a skill just like anything else,” says Dolhun.
You can get extra speaking practice with other activities, too:
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- Talking out loud to yourself when alone
- Speaking to your pets
- Singing
If you feel nervous speaking in some social settings, you can start by joining a Parkinson’s support group, where you know others may better understand your needs and differences.
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Ask for Clarification
Even in the best of circumstances, we can misunderstand others in conversation. As a caregiver, if you aren’t sure you understood what your loved one said, ask them to repeat or clarify it.
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Keep follow-up questions simple. It also works well to ask for a one- or two-word clarification.
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For example, you could say, “You’re looking forward to what?” Or “Did you mean this: (Repeat what you heard.)” Then they can answer with the missing word or yes or no.
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Try to avoid pretending to understand what your loved one said or jumping in to finish a sentence for them, unless they have asked you to.
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Stay Patient
Learning new communication skills can feel frustrating for both the speaker and the listener. But Amodeo urges staying patient with each another, remembering that this is hard on both partners in different ways. If you have Parkinson’s, give yourself and others plenty of grace.
As a caregiver, give your loved one lots of time to respond, and avoid tapping your foot, walking away, or making gestures that add pressure. Try not to push too hard for them to join in a conversation if they don’t want to.
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Be Ready to Adjust
As Parkinson’s progresses, new symptoms can appear or worsen, and it helps to prepare for possible changes. “For some people, there does come a point where verbal speech words are much more challenging, whether that’s because of the speech itself or other symptoms of Parkinson’s,” says Dolhun.
If you reach a point where you need help to communicate, you can try these options:
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- An electronic voice amplifier
- TTY telephone relay system (typed speech read aloud)
- Writing difficult words with pen and paper
- Alphabet boards to spell out words
- Hand signals for common words
Whatever your speaking challenges, think about how you can connect and communicate in ways outside of words, says Dolhun. You don’t always have to speak — you can listen to music or a podcast together, too, Dolhun adds.
