What are effective communication strategies for clients with Parkinson's disease?

2 Listen actively and patiently

Another communication challenge for people with PD is dysarthria, or impaired speech production. This can affect their articulation, pitch, tone, and rate of speech, making them sound slurred, monotone, or hesitant. To help your clients with PD express themselves, listen actively and patiently, without interrupting or finishing their sentences. Show interest and empathy, and use eye contact and nodding to indicate your attention. You can also use verbal feedback, such as repeating or summarizing what they said, or asking clarifying questions, to confirm your understanding.

3 Encourage vocal exercises and feedback

One of the ways to improve voice quality and volume for people with PD is to practice vocal exercises that target the respiratory, phonatory, and articulatory systems. As a functional trainer, you can incorporate some of these exercises into your sessions, such as deep breathing, humming, singing, or reading aloud. You can also encourage your clients with PD to use a device or an app that provides feedback on their voice intensity, pitch, or duration, such as a sound level meter, a metronome, or a voice amplifier. These tools can help your clients with PD monitor and adjust their voice output, and increase their awareness and confidence.

4 Adapt to cognitive and emotional changes

People with PD may also experience cognitive and emotional changes that affect their communication, such as memory loss, attention deficit, depression, or anxiety. These changes can make it harder for them to process information, recall words, initiate conversations, or express emotions. To help your clients with PD cope with these changes, adapt your communication style and content to their needs and preferences. For example, you can use simple and familiar words, avoid jargon or sarcasm, provide reminders or cues, use humor or praise, or offer support or reassurance.

5 Collaborate and educate

Communication is a two-way process that requires collaboration and education between you and your clients with PD. To establish a good rapport and trust, involve your clients with PD in the planning and evaluation of their functional training program, and respect their choices and opinions. You can also educate your clients with PD about the benefits of functional training for their physical and mental health, and provide them with resources and tips to enhance their communication skills. By doing so, you can help your clients with PD feel empowered and motivated to achieve their goals.