Support

For people with any type of PPA, their speech and language is affected first.

When talking to someone with PPA, there are things you can do to help them:

• Be patient, warm and understanding.
• Find a quiet place to talk.
• Don’t ask more than one question at a time.
• Acknowledge their frustration when they show it, don’t dismiss it.
• Ask the person how you can help them communicate.
• Speak clearly and so that the person can see you speaking.
• Check that you have understood what they mean.
• One-to-one conversations can work better than talking in groups.

If someone is finding eating and swallowing hard, ask your GP for a referral to a speech and language therapist to assess their swallowing. This is really important, as there may be things they can suggest to reduce the risk of food and drinks going down the wrong way.

If someone is finding eating and swallowing hard, these may help:

• Try not to have foods that require a lot of chewing like thick pieces of meat.
• Cut food up into small, manageable pieces.
• Add sauces to meals.
• If eating becomes slower, a plate-warmer will help to keep food warm and nicer to eat.

Over time, someone with PPA will need more help with day-to-day life, for example with washing and dressing. It is important to think about safety at home and any changes you may need to make. For people still working, PPA may make doing a job more difficult. It is helpful to talk to close family, early on, about options such as lasting power of attorney, and later, home care and care homes. Driving safety is also important. You should let the DVLA know if you or a family member is diagnosed with any form of dementia.

Find more organisations offering support for people affected by dementia here.