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A different story: exploring patterns of communication in residential dementia care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2008

RICHARD WARD ,
ANTONY A. VASS ,
NEERU AGGARWAL ,
CYDONIE GARFIELD  and
BEAU CYBYK
RICHARD WARD
Affiliation:
Centre for the Older Person's Agenda, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
ANTONY A. VASS
Affiliation:
Centre for the Older Person's Agenda, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
NEERU AGGARWAL
Affiliation:
Centre for the Older Person's Agenda, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
CYDONIE GARFIELD
Affiliation:
Centre for the Older Person's Agenda, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
BEAU CYBYK
Affiliation:
Centre for the Older Person's Agenda, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK.
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Abstract

This article reports findings from a three-year project on ‘Communication patterns and their consequences for effective care’ that explored communication in dementia-care settings. As the proportion of people with dementia living in British care-homes continues to grow, there is a need to understand better their care. Using a range of qualitative methods, the project set out to identify the constituent elements of dementia-care practice and the patterns that characterise day-to-day relations in care homes. The tightly prescribed and standardised nature of the interactions between staff and residents is described: it raises questions about the capacity for dementia care to be truly person-centred. The project found that people with dementia are both capable of communication, and invest much effort in seeking to engage those around them, but are excluded from the monitoring, planning and provision of care in ways that we argue are discriminatory. The case is made for promoting and supporting communication as key skills and competencies for care workers. The value of measuring the level and quality of communication as a means to evaluate care is demonstrated. The authors question the priorities that currently guide care practice and argue that we need to listen to people with dementia and rethink what lies at the heart of dementia care.

Keywords

dementiaAlzheimer's diseasecare homescommunicationcare workdisablismperson-centred care
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , July 2008 , pp. 629 - 651
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

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