Bilingualism and Dementia: How Some People Lose Their Second Language and Rediscover Their First

Researchers are delving into the question of dementia's effect on bilinguals, reports The Conversation . Workers in Scottish, Irish, and Welsh care communities noted bilingual people with advanced forms of dementia and nearly no linguistic skills had their lives changed by caregivers who could speak their mother tongue. Music and song often were essential to aiding them with recollection and speech. If immigrant parents have discarded their native tongue to speak only the dominant language of their adopted country with their children, this renders entire generations incapable of speaking their parents' language. This means first-generation migrants who develop dementia may have no way to communicate with their children as they revert to the language they used when they were younger. The Lingo Flamingo language-learning company hosts befriending programs for older people and persons with dementia, using languages such as Punjabi. Identifying the complexity of caring for bilinguals with dementia is a first step toward tackling this issue both politically and practically.