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Effective Communication Strategies between Nurses and Patients with Dementia
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Effective Communication Strategies between Nurses and Patients with Dementia
Communication is the bedrock of good care, but it gets increasingly difficult with ageing
patients who have dementia. As cognitive ability declines, conventional ways of communicating
become inadequate, too often culminating in frustration for both nurses and patients, possibly at
the expense of quality of care. There are some effective strategies regarding how nurses can
effectively communicate with patients suffering from this dementia type, focusing on those
techniques allowing understanding, decreasing agitation, and enabling the patient's maintenance
of dignity. These are strategies that will bring better patient outcomes and decreased caregiver
stress within a better care setting for all those involved.
Probably the most critical aspect in the communication with the dementia patients is the
non-verbal cues and body language. Research by Better Health Channel (2014) indicated that in
most cases, a patient with dementia will always retain the understanding of facial expressions,
tone of voice and gestures even after verbal comprehension has gone. These effective strategies
include maintaining eye contact, using a calm and reassuring tone, and gentle touch where
appropriate and culturally acceptable. One should also be aware of one's own body language to
ensure that it is open and patient. The other thing that really helps in enhancing comprehension
and engagement is the use of visual aids like pictures or objects relating to the subject under
discussion. These non-verbal strategies allow not only communication but also help to facilitate
trust and rapport between the nurse and the patient.
Another equally important aspect of effective interaction with dementia patients is verbal
communication strategies. Blackhall et al. (2011) have proposed the framework of "VERA,"
systemizing this approach: Validate the person's feelings, Engage in his or her reality, Reassure,
and Activity. The method draws attention to the need to validate the patient's feelings, even when
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the reasons standing behind them appear unclear or irrational. It is better to join the patient in
their reality rather than correct misperceptions; reassure and sometimes redirect attention to some
pleasant activity. Simple words, short sentences, and a slower rate of pitch also have a salutary
effect on comprehension. Offering as much choice as possible, even if only two alternatives
exist, may help preserve some autonomy and dignity for the person with dementia; both are
commonly eroded by the progressive illness.
The putting into action of person-centered communication techniques, however, demands
more than a mere skill; it calls for a supportive organizational culture. Training programs
targeted on dementia-specific communication strategies have proven somewhat promising in
improving confidence and effectiveness of nurses caring for patients such as these. This was
evident in a study by Surr et al. (2017), who reported that highly specialist trained nurses
indicated that issues of challenging behaviors were significantly improved, and the trainers were
more satisfied with the interaction process in patients suffering from dementia. However,
sustaining these improvements requires ongoing support and opportunities for practice. This
could be enabled by the health care organizations in creating environments allowing for
unhurried interaction time, investing in resources, such as communication aids, and having a
culture that values, respects, and puts emphasis on effective communication with all their
patients whose status of cognitive is not an issue.
Overall, good communication between nurses and their patients with dementia is
exceptionally important to provide good, compassionate care. There are many challenges of
cognitive decline that can be transcended by adopting a blend of non-verbal techniques and
individually tailored verbal strategies using person-centered approaches. These strategies will
improve not only the immediate experience of care but also the overall outcome for patients,
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reduce stress to carers, and result in a more positive environment for care. Growing in memory is
the need for the development and implementation of effective communication strategies into
nursing care to meet the ever-growing prevalence of dementia. Therefore, this requires further
research and training combined with support from organizations in equipping nurses with the
requisite skill set in expertly attending to this vulnerable population, thereby improving the
quality of life among those living with dementia.
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References
Better Health Channel. (2014). Dementia - communication. Better Health Channel.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/dementia-
communication
Blackhall, A., Hawkes, D., Hingley, D., & Wood, S. (2011). VERA framework: Communicating
with People Who Have Dementia. Nursing Standard, 26(10), 35–39.
https://doi.org/10.7748/ns2011.11.26.10.35.c8818
Surr, C. A., Gates, C., Irving, D., Oyebode, J., Smith, S. J., Parveen, S., Drury, M., & Dennison,
A. (2017). Effective Dementia Education and Training for the Health and Social Care
Workforce: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Review of Educational Research,
87(5), 966–1002. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654317723305
