Parkinson's Disease Health Center

Coping Tips for Caregivers of Those With Parkinson's Disease

Communicating With Your Loved One

Parkinson's disease can make verbal communication very difficult for your loved one. That can get in the way of your ability to care for his or her needs. Here are some ways that can help you better understand your loved one.

• Talk to loved one face-to-face. Look at him or her as he or she is speaking.
• Ask questions that your loved one can answer "yes" or "no."
• Repeat the part of the sentence that you understood. (For example, "You want me to go upstairs and get the what?")
• Ask your loved one to repeat what he or she has said, or ask him or her to speak slower or spell out the words that you did not understand.