Interacting with People with Alzheimer’s與阿爾茨海默病患者的相處之道

埃絲特·黑雷曼　王丹丹/譯

Though sometimes challenging， social interaction can be beneficial for someone with Alzheimers disease. But it can also sometimes be triggering， making a tough situation potentially worse for everyone involved.

對(duì)于阿爾茨海默病患者而言，社交互動(dòng)有時(shí)雖有難度，但可能很有益處。然而，它有時(shí)也會(huì)引發(fā)強(qiáng)烈的恐懼或擔(dān)憂，可能使涉及的每個(gè)人本已艱難的處境變得更糟。

Understanding more about Alzheimers and dementia may help explain some of the interactions you may be having with a loved one who has been diagnosed. It can also help guide you as to what not to do or say to someone with Alzheimers， so your encounters can be better for both of you.

了解更多有關(guān)阿爾茨海默病和癡呆的知識(shí)可以幫助解讀你和確診的所愛(ài)之人之間的一些互動(dòng)，還有助于指導(dǎo)你注意在與該病患者接觸時(shí)說(shuō)話或做事的禁忌，這樣你們會(huì)相處得更好。

This article lists six things to avoid when interacting with someone with Alzheimers disease and why doing so can be helpful.

本文列出了與阿爾茨海默病患者相處時(shí)要避免的6件事，并解釋了為何這樣做會(huì)有幫助。

Dont ignore them

不要忽視他們

If youre not sure how to interact with someone with obvious signs of dementia， its OK to feel awkward. What doesnt help is shutting down and not making an effort to interact.

如果你不知道如何與有明顯癡呆癥狀的人互動(dòng)，感到尷尬是情理之中的。拒絕溝通和不努力嘗試互動(dòng)都沒(méi)有幫助。

The same applies if you suddenly start cutting back on visits because youre feeling uncomfortable.

如果因感覺(jué)不自在而突然開(kāi)始減少看望次數(shù)，同樣于事無(wú)補(bǔ)。

According to a 2018 study in the Journal of Biomedical Science， social interaction is vital to people with Alzheimers as it can improve memory loss by increasing synaptic plasticity （the ability of nerve cells to communicate with each other）. By contrast， a lack of social interaction can accelerate memory loss and cognitive decline.

《生物醫(yī)學(xué)科學(xué)雜志》上刊發(fā)的一項(xiàng)2018年的研究報(bào)告表明，對(duì)于阿爾茨海默病患者而言，社交活動(dòng)至關(guān)重要，因?yàn)樯缃豢梢栽鰪?qiáng)突觸可塑性（神經(jīng)細(xì)胞間相互交流的能力），從而延緩記憶喪失。相反，缺少社交活動(dòng)則會(huì)加速記憶喪失及認(rèn)知能力的衰退。

Both quality and quantity count when it comes to the social interactions a person with Alzheimers needs. This may not always be easy or without stress， but the more you put in， the more you get out.

對(duì)于阿爾茨海默病患者而言，所需社交活動(dòng)的數(shù)量和質(zhì)量都很重要。這可能并不總是那么輕松，或許還會(huì)感到重重壓力，但是你付出越多，得到也越多。

Dont assume theyre confused all the time

不要以為他們一直是糊涂的

Even though someone who has Alzheimers may have episodes where they forget or fail to recognize things， they may still have frequent moments of clarity. This is referred to as transient terminal lucidity.

即便阿爾茨海默病患者可能間歇性出現(xiàn)忘記或者無(wú)法辨別事物的狀況，但他們?nèi)猿Ｓ星逍训臅r(shí)候，這就是所謂短暫的“回光返照”。

While the moments may be fleeting， they can be ones in which memories and communications skills are suddenly intact. This may include memories of interactions you recently had.

盡管這些時(shí)刻或許轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝，但患者那會(huì)兒的記憶和交流能力可能突然變得毫無(wú)缺失。其中或許包括近期與你互動(dòng)的記憶。

Dont assume that you can say whatever you want around them “because they wont remember it anyhow.” In truth， they might.

不要以為“他們什么也記不住”就在他們身旁口無(wú)遮攔。事實(shí)上，他們可能記住了。

Even if someone with Alzheimers doesnt fully understand what you are saying if you are arguing with someone else in the room， they may respond with upset or sudden outbursts. People with the disease can be extremely sensitive to change in their environment.

如果你在屋子里和另一個(gè)人吵架，即便阿爾茨海默病患者無(wú)法完全理解你說(shuō)的話，他們也可能會(huì)焦慮不安或者突然情緒爆發(fā)。該病患者可能對(duì)身邊環(huán)境的變化極其敏感。

Dont talk to them like a child

不要把他們當(dāng)孩子來(lái)交談

Just because someone with Alzheimers may need a lot of care doesnt mean you should treat them like a child.

阿爾茨海默病患者可能需要許多照顧，但這并不意味著可以把他們當(dāng)作孩子對(duì)待。

In the end， Alzheimers is a neurodegenerative disease that causes a decline in memory and cognition， the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought， experience， and the senses.

說(shuō)到底，阿爾茨海默病是一種神經(jīng)退行性疾病，會(huì)導(dǎo)致患者的記憶及認(rèn)知能力衰退，而認(rèn)知是通過(guò)思想、經(jīng)驗(yàn)和感官來(lái)獲取知識(shí)和理解事物的過(guò)程。

Alzheimers doesnt mean that a person is “reverting to childhood” given that children have the ability to grow their cognitive skills. By contrast， people with Alzheimers struggle to retain those skills.

患上阿爾茨海默病并不意味著患者“返老還童”了，因?yàn)楹⒆佑心芰υ鲩L(zhǎng)他們的認(rèn)知技能，相反，阿爾茨海默病患者很難保持這些技能。

People who interact with someone with Alzheimers may knowingly or unknowingly engage in “elderspeak” in which they talk down to that person. This is not only disrespectful， but counterproductive.

與阿爾茨海默病患者互動(dòng)時(shí)，人們總會(huì)自覺(jué)或不自覺(jué)地采取“哄老語(yǔ)”的語(yǔ)氣，以居高臨下的口吻與對(duì)方交流。這不僅不尊重人，還會(huì)適得其反。

It fails to recognize that interacting intellectually is of greater benefit to someone with Alzheimers than communicating as if to a child.

用這種交流方法的人沒(méi)有意識(shí)到，對(duì)阿爾茨海默病患者而言，理智地交流比像對(duì)待孩子一樣和他們說(shuō)話更有好處。

Dont quiz them

不要考問(wèn)他們

It is not uncommon for someone to want to quiz someone with Alzheimers to find out how “bad” their condition is or to see if it is worsening.

總有人想測(cè)試阿爾茨海默病患者，看看他們的病情有多“糟糕”或者是否在惡化，這并不罕見(jiàn)。

Doing so is not only unhelpful but fails to recognize that the symptoms of Alzheimers can fluctuate. There is rarely a straight line when it comes to the progression of the disease.

這樣做不僅毫無(wú)益處，還說(shuō)明他們沒(méi)有意識(shí)到阿爾茨海默病患者存在癥狀波動(dòng)的情況。該病的病情很少呈直線發(fā)展。

Avoid asking things like “What is my name？” or “What day is it？” This can cause extreme anxiety， which can lead to agitation， restlessness， and extreme upset.

避免詢問(wèn)“我叫什么？”或“今天是周幾？”這類問(wèn)題。這可能會(huì)讓患者極度焦慮，進(jìn)而產(chǎn)生焦躁、不安、極度煩悶等情緒。

Dont focus on what they are unable to do

不要在意他們做不到的事

Watching a loved one in decline can be distressing and make you feel an extreme sense of loss. Acceptance of these changes can be difficult， but holding onto the loss neither helps you nor your loved one with Alzheimers.

看著所愛(ài)的人日漸衰弱可能非常痛苦，也會(huì)讓你產(chǎn)生強(qiáng)烈的失落感。接受這些變化或許十分艱難，但若對(duì)這種失落耿耿于懷，不論是對(duì)你還是對(duì)患上阿爾茨海默病的親人都沒(méi)有任何幫助。

Rather than focusing on what they can no longer do， focus on the things they can and engage with them on that level. This may involve playing games or pursuing activities they can manage， like walking， playing puzzles， dressing up， or combing their hair.

與其在意他們已經(jīng)沒(méi)法做到的事，不如關(guān)注他們能做的并在此層面與之交流?；蛟S是玩游戲，或許是參與他們能應(yīng)付的活動(dòng)，比如散步、玩拼圖、穿衣、梳頭。

It is important to remember that the Alzheimers journey is not the same for all people. While memory loss is common， certain long-term memories may be retained. Similarly， some facets of cognition may be preserved， including the ability to recognize and respond to stimuli like touch or smell that offer your loved one comfort or pleasure.

有一點(diǎn)非常重要，需要牢記：阿爾茨海默病的病程人各不同。盡管記憶喪失很常見(jiàn)，但某些長(zhǎng)期記憶可能會(huì)保留下來(lái)。同理，某些認(rèn)知方面的功能或許也被保留下來(lái)，包括識(shí)別和回應(yīng)觸覺(jué)、嗅覺(jué)等外界刺激的能力，這些刺激會(huì)給你愛(ài)的人帶來(lái)安慰或快樂(lè)。

Dont assume they choose to be difficult

不要以為他們?cè)诠室獾箅y

In the later stages of the disease， people with Alzheimers will sometimes lash out for no obvious reason. This can manifest with screaming， cursing， insults， pushing， hitting， and throwing things. As much as the attacks may seem directed at you， theyre usually not.

在病程后期，阿爾茨海默病患者有時(shí)會(huì)無(wú)緣無(wú)故大發(fā)脾氣。這可能表現(xiàn)為尖叫、咒罵、侮辱他人、推搡、打人和扔?xùn)|西。這些攻擊看似是針對(duì)你，但通常不是。

No one can really say why these outbursts occur， but it is thought that they represent frustrations or fears that cannot be communicated in a rational or cohesive way.

沒(méi)人能真正解釋為何會(huì)有這樣的情緒爆發(fā)，但一般認(rèn)為，這代表患者感到不安或者害怕，他們無(wú)法以理性或連貫的方式進(jìn)行溝通。

The causes are many and may include：

情緒爆發(fā)的原因有很多，可能包括：

The inability to articulate physical or emotional pain

無(wú)法明確表達(dá)生理或者心理上的痛苦；

Changes in the environment that cause confusion

環(huán)境變化帶來(lái)的困惑；

Feelings of isolation or that you are being ignored

感覺(jué)受到孤立或忽視；

Feelings that they are not being understood

感覺(jué)自己不被理解；

The loss of control and being forced to do what you dont want to do

失去控制且被迫做不想做的事；

Not being able to make sense of whats going on around you

無(wú)法理解周圍發(fā)生的事。

Rather than taking the attacks personally， it is best to step back and try to identify the triggers that set off the outburst. By doing so， you may be better able to avoid future outbursts and， in turn， improve the quality of life of your loved one.

與其認(rèn)為這些攻擊是針對(duì)你個(gè)人的，不如退后一步，嘗試找出患者情緒爆發(fā)的誘因。這樣才可能更有效地避免未來(lái)再次爆發(fā)，從而提升所愛(ài)之人的生活質(zhì)量。

（譯者為“《英語(yǔ)世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎(jiǎng)?wù)撸?/p>