Newsday

ASK THE EXPERT
When words are elusive

Karen E. Klein

April 21, 2007

The problem: My mother is in her 80s and still lives independently. Recently, however, we've noticed she's quite frustrated because she's having trouble remembering words. What can we do to help?

The expert: Judy Cavallo, licensed speech-language pathologist and Director, New York Speech Consultants, Oyster Bay.

The rules: Mild word-finding problems are a normal consequence of aging. There is no evidence that we lose words with normal aging. Instead, we have difficulty retrieving words that once were readily available.

The strategy: You may be able to help your mother compensate for her word-finding difficulties by encouraging her to gesture and use related words to communicate her needs. Also encourage her to engage in mental activities such as reading, working puzzles, playing Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit or chess to keep her mind active. The more we use language and encounter new words, the better our chances of maintaining those words as we age. Just like our bodies, it is possible to exercise our brains to keep them healthy.

How it works: Teach your mother these techniques and encourage her to use them when she's having trouble finding a word: Pantomime (using her hands to describe an object or an event); describing objects she's trying to recall ("you use it to pound nails" means "hammer,"); circumlocution (saying as much as possible about the word she's thinking of); providing related words ("drink, mug, hot, black" for "coffee"); and using synonyms or antonyms. For instance, ask her to use another word that has the same meaning ("couch" for "sofa") or the opposite meaning ("not new" for "old").

The results: While it's normal to experience occasional difficulty finding the right word, frequent word-finding problems may be a warning sign of Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. If you and your mother are concerned about her communication problem, a medical exam may be warranted. Early diagnosis and treatment of dementia can slow the progression of symptoms. Speech therapy can help improve and preserve communication and cognitive functioning.