CuteTC Asked February 2023

Has anyone experienced someone they care for reverting back to their "first" language?

I am the sole caretaker at this time of my 95 year old mama. I moved her into my home when I lost my husband 3 years ago (could no longer take care of 2 households). Her late onset dementia has really accelerated the past few months. Until she qualifies for Hospice in our state, I am trying my best to take care of her. My mama is a WWII German warbride that came to theU.S. in 1949 and got her citizenship. She spoke English when she met and married my dad. My dad could speak German but could not read or write it. My parents never taught us German except for a few words because they used it for their "private" conversations. My question is has anyone experienced their loved one reverting back to their natural "tongue" as the dementia/alzheimers progresses? She has started using words and sometimes phrases in German and I am struggling to get the meaning because when I ask her to say it in English she can't remember what she said. I have tried to use my Google to tranlate as best I can but that is difficult too.

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I studied German. One of my professor friends taught at a small university in a rural area. He would send his advanced students to area nursing homes to talk with or interpret for the seniors. He said people reverted to their first language.

Helpful Answer (12)

Yes this happens. I was told about this when I started working in healthcare. I live in a multicultural place & many elders revert back to their first language as their shorter term memory fades they rely more & more on their long term memory.

I would advise making yourself a list of common words & a picture booklet too, for common things eg toilet, bath, tissue, drinks, food, pillow. Add a hug too 🤗😍

Helpful Answer (10)

Absolutely! My mother was a language fanatic - mother tongue Dutch, excellent English, good German and French, and as empty-nester went back to college to get BA in Greek and Latin. In the last months of her struggle with dementia (she passed away 2 weeks ago), only Dutch remained. We all kept speaking to her in our various languages inc caretakers, but also in music -- classical music sometimes seems to bring back some English (like a little pilot light in the brain), even though her favorites were German language liederen (think Schubert etc). The brain works in wonderous ways.. and we all do what we can to keep communication lines open

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CuteTC - Oh, yes! Happening to my 98 yo MIL. She's never been dx with dementia (refuses any tests) but when she's stressed or has the beginnings of a UTI, everything is in German. Funny, not so funny, thing is, most conversations include English and German. She does not realize she is doing this. Keeps us on our toes!

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My 100-yr old Aunt (who just passed away) began speaking only Italian to the aids in the rehab facility. She spoke perfect English her whole life but as the daughter 2 Italian immigrants, Italian was her first language when she entered Kindergarten, and her mother never spoke English so she spoke Italian to her Mother her whole life, but not since she passed, which was a few decades. We think Gramma was talking to her.

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Just today, I was watching an old video of myself interacting with my grandmother, and I have an Italian dictionary in my hand in the video, trying to see if I can figure out what she's saying. I suspect she was, at times, using Italian words learned in her childhood, but I never confirmed that. She was raised by immigrants in the U.S. I think it's possible that dementia sufferers revert to, or go in and out of, the language of their childhood.

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My mother has started doing this too in the last few months, as her dementia has progressed. We emigrated to the United States from Poland 53 years ago. We spoke English almost exclusively at home since then. She now frequently uses Polish words and phrases, which is fine with me because I do understand it, but presents a problem with her aides! It makes sense since they are going back in time to when they were younger.

Helpful Answer (4)

Yes. This was a thing I remember being talked about in my grandparent's generation since most of them had grown up speaking German in the home. And there were at least two people in my mom's nursing home who hand emigrated from the Netherlands after the war and reverted to Dutch.

Helpful Answer (4)

Yes, I posted a question regarding this. My mother is 99 and in a MC. Has reverted to her native language (French) and has forgotten her English. I have made boards with simple word translations for the staff but even when they try to speak to her in French, her attention span is zero. She gets angry at night when they change her for bed and she calls them all kinds of names so it’s a good thing they don’t understand. I go see her every day and we speak French, that’s the only time she has some sort of communication

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I have not had this experience exactly but my DH aunt, 96, with dementia had a French/English speaking mother and a German/English speaking father. She is fluent in neither French nor German but has little phrases she will say in Each language.
She at one time would try to teach me these phrases. A few years ago, I started recording her on my cell phone trying to teach me. This usually just ended in us laughing and having a good time over how hopeless it was to teach me.
As recently as Thanksgiving we had a few minutes of our “class’” that I recorded. Most days she doesn’t speak so it is a real treat to hear her today. If I were you I would record her and one day you may find someone to interpret and for sure you will enjoy listening to her.
I realize this doesn’t solve your problem but you could play it back for your mama and see if she could interpret. My aunt enjoyed listening to herself tell me the stories I recorded.

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Has anyone experienced someone they care for reverting back to their "first" language?

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