communicating with people with dementia

3.1

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

“Getting to Know Me”Enhancing Skills in the Care of People with Dementia in General Hospitals

3.2

To explore a range of ways staff can adapt their communication approaches (verbally and non-verbally) to compensate for the difficulties experienced by people with dementia

To explore dilemmas in communicating to people with a different perception of reality to our own

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Watch the video clip and observe the different modes of communication and the skills/techniques employed by the man in the clip...

3.3

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Reduce conflicting stimuli such as background noise

Speak facing the person to ensure good eye-contact. Avoid approaching and addressing people from behind – it can startle

Slow down

Reduce the length of sentences to give just one piece of information at a time

Point to pictures or objects as you talk about them to supply additional information

Be conscious in your facial expression, body posture and use of speech and sounds to show you are fully attending and listening

Listen to the intonation. This may be communicating more than the words themselves. Focus on the feeling behind the words.

3.4

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Edith is 96, she is a patient on your ward and she has dementia. Edith frequently asks staff if they have seen her mother (Edith’s mother died many years ago). She appears anxious. People respond to her in different ways. What might you say?

3.5

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

“As we become more emotional and less cognitive, it’s the way you talk to us, not what you say, that we remember”

Christine Bryden 2005, p138

3.6

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Please reflect on the following;

◦ What are the positives and negatives about the physical care environment within the hospital for people with dementia?

◦ How could you put to good use greater knowledge about a patient who has dementia e.g. information on their life, interests, likes and dislikes etc?

3.7

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Brooker, D and Surr, C (2005) Dementia Care Mapping: Principles and Practice. University of Bradfor

Brooker, D (2007) Person-Centred Dementia Care: making services better. London. Jessica Kingsley

Bryden, C (2005) Dancing with Dementia Jessica Kingsley

Kitwood, T. 1997Dementia Reconsidered: the person comes first. Open University Press

NICE (2010) Delirium, diagnosis, prevention and management. Clinical Guideline 103 for people with dementia 

3.8

© Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust