EP 87 :: Ideas For Dementia Communication :: Susan I. Wranik
Susan I. Wranik talks with Bobbi and Mike about the challenges of communicating with people who are dealing with dementia and the cognitive shift they are experiencing.
Susan, a Milwaukee native, is a national speaker, author, linguist, and medical professional passionate about communication, quality of life, and enabling other people’s voices. She began her career as a translator/interpreter for the Italian Ministry of Defense, later moving to clinical work as a speech language pathologist. Her firm, SpeakSkill brings together linguistic, cultural, and medical expertise to provide training and therapy in comprehensive communication skills enhancement.
“People who are dealing with dementia and with cognitive shift are having the same difficulty finding the words to understand what you say to them as they are finding the words to express themselves,” Susan says.
“We are what I call ‘Creative problem solving on the run.’ It's not always going to work, so if it didn't work and you feel guilty today, take a few minutes,” Bobbi says. “Feel the emotion and move on and do the best you can the next day.”
“As clinicians, our job is to open the door and show family members and those who live with their life, altering diagnosis how they can be better communicators and reach the soul of the person. That's our responsibility,” Susan states.
You can find out more about SpeakSkill by visiting their website and following Susan on Twitter and Facebook.
Don't forget to subscribe, download, and review to share your thoughts about the show!
