In the latest edition of the MDU journal , Professor Rowan Harwood, a consultant geriatrician at the University of Nottingham, discusses the complexities of communicating with patients who have dementia.

Language is often affected when a person has dementia, including finding the right words and understanding what is said. Consequently, everyday communication skills may not be appropriate when caring for patients with dementia. For example, in its advanced stages, someone with dementia may be almost mute.

Professor Harwood and his colleagues conducted research into which communication styles are most suitable when looking after patients with dementia and how communication can be improved between patients and healthcare professionals.

Professor Harwood states:

"When faced with confused or incomprehensible speech, it is easy to assume that a person with dementia has lost all interactional competence. We found that this was not the case. People with dementia orientate to the basic structure or 'rules' of conversation, such as taking turns or answering questions.

"It is normal to 'repair' problems that arise in conversations, such as asking for a clarification. Unfortunately, if talk is very disrupted, as in dementia, doing this results in constantly interrupting, highlighting inadequacies and making the person 'lose face'.

"However, the conversation can be continued as if it were understandable by using repetition, picking out what is understandable, or responding to emotional tone rather than the words used. This keeps the conversation going - and the person with dementia happy - but you may have to get other information elsewhere, such as from a family member."

This comes as a record number of people are receiving a dementia diagnosis in England. According to the Alzheimer's Society, the latest NHS data shows that 487,432 people in England had a diagnosis as of June 2024, with September being World Alzheimer's Month culminating with World Alzheimer's Day on 21^st September.

MDU highlights importance of communication skills when treating patients with dementia

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