Speaking

My mother's PSP is worsening to the point where she is rarely able to speak in a manner that one can hear and or understand. Are there any kind of symbol cards or books that we could use for her to point at for at least a hint as to what she is asking for?

[Hidden]

We find that thumbs up for Yes and a flat wave of the hand for no and asking a lot of questions very slowly. Sorry not much help.

See in BC

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yep, we have developed those responses as well, but need more vocabulary, so to speak. Thanks!

[raincitygirl]

Hi DavePalmer;

Check out the thread titled "Communication Devices" started by Catherine_h about 19 days ago. Also, 19 days ago, Luis RodicioRodicio wrote a thread "My Digital Communication Device". There's good info here.

Also check out Wikipedia: Picture Communication Symbols

Also check out the GoTalkNowLite (free version) communication app from the App Store. Cuttercat put us on to this and I'm having fun programming the free version onto hubby's iPad. You can use a library of standard picture symbols or even import your own photos to attach to "buttons" that you set up in catalogues (like you make one for food, one for sensory (hot, cold, pain, etc. etc.) or however you want to set it up.

All of this is just a beginning, but it gives you a place to start to explore. I've found it empowering in a crazy way: instead of total silence and fear of being "locked in", there's some hope for some type of communication

Good luck - Let us know how it goes!

Anne G.

[Hidden in reply to raincitygirl]

Thank you very much! My wife is more of a geek then I, so she will help me out with the app you speak of. I'll let ya know what happens.

Dave Palmer

[Gracie_Girl in reply to raincitygirl]

Hi, thanks for all the information. I tried to find the GoTalkLiveNow app and couldn't pull up anything. Did I miss something? I, too, am desperate to find something for my sister.

Thanks,

Gracie girl

[raincitygirl in reply to Gracie_Girl]

Hi Gracie;

Hmm...I'm on a mac (Apple) and downloaded from the App store, but when I Google GoTalk Now, it comes up with choices such as ....for windows....for android...etc. so it isn't just an apple app...

There are also youtube videos. Does it help to search splitting it into two words? GoTalk Now ...and probably Lite is a separate word too?

Let me know what you find - I'm seeing it easily on Google...

Anne G,

[Gracie_Girl in reply to raincitygirl]

Thank you Anne. Got it! I don't know what I was doing before, but I wasn't getting anywhere. I think the exhaustion is setting in for the day. I'm definitely interested in this. My sister is losing her ability to communicate at breakneck speed. A year ago I tried to get her to work with me to develop some sort of "emergency language" so that she could communicate with me when the time comes. Well, it's here and we're struggling. I appreciate you helping me out.

Gracie girl

[raincitygirl in reply to Gracie_Girl]

Best of luck Gracie! Let us know how it goes

[Nanny857]

Hi your Speech and Language therapist should be able to guide and provide you with alternative methods of communicating. We were given a demonstration of technical devices which even my non-IT-technical husband could use ; a piece of paper with the alphabet so he could point to the letter of each word or spell it out if necessary plus separate popular phrases he could use for Dr appointments, in the home ie. I would like a cup of tea, etc. Good luck in finding what suits your mum xx

[ketchupman]

We went from high-tech ($9,000 US electronic speech communication board) to a homemade sheet of paper that I laminated that had the letters of the alphabet, and some common everyday symbols (picture of cup of water, a TV, a toilet, a bed, a pill, and a heart ... so she could tell me she loves me). But towards the end of life she could barely see and point to it, so I would usually have to play a form of charades and wait for a thumbs up/down until I got it right. Best to get those important conversations completed before they progress that far, such as their end of life care, DNR, feeding tube, where they hid money/family jewels, etc.

Ketchupman

[Hidden in reply to ketchupman]

Thanks. We purchased a communication board recently and that seems to help as she can point at symbols etc., though her cognitive challenges seem to even make that .difficult at times. She seems to be caught in limbo some where most of the time. Her best times are when she has visits from her great grandchildren and others.

[ketchupman]

Yes, grandchildren and great grandchildren can definitely lift your spirits. Glad the board is working for her. What I did like about our pricey board was the plastic overlay that provided a separation between each box, providing some prevention from her hitting the wrong box. But Kim also had a problem not tapping on a box only once, goes with the impulsiveness. She would often hit it 4 or 5 times and then the machine would have to repeat itself over and over. I could never figure out how to program it to only accept a single tap.

Ketchupman

[Hidden]

Our communication board is a simple non electronic board. It helps a great deal. In fact the other night mom was able to use it successfully in communicating a burning sensation in her mouth. We believe the burning sensation was caused by residual medicine in her mouth, caused by her increasing difficulty in swallowing. We are crushing her medicine and feeding it with applesauce and yougurt, but it still is a challange at times. She did play a mean game of scrabble the other evening as well, but I think it really wears her out. I keep telling her there is nothing wrong with her brain (as she has lamented in the past); the challenge is getting her electrons to communicate with the rest of her body.