Abstract
Background:Effective communication between residents with dementia and care providers in long-term care homes (LTCHs) is essential to resident-centered care.Purpose:To determine the effects of a communication intervention on residents’ quality of life (QOL) and care, as well as care providers’ perceived knowledge, mood, and burden.Method:The intervention included (1) individualized communication plans, (2) a dementia care workshop, and (3) a care provider support system. Pre- and postintervention scores were compared to evaluate the effects of the intervention. A total of 12 residents and 20 care providers in an LTCH participated in the feasibility study.Results:The rate of care providers’ adherence to the communication plans was 91%. Postintervention, residents experienced a significant increase in overall QOL. Care providers had significant improvement in mood and perceived reduced burden.Conclusion:The results suggest that the communication intervention demonstrates preliminary evidence of positive effects on residents’ QOL and care providers’ mood and burden.
Highlights
Dementia is a condition that impairs the cognitive brain functions of memory, language, perception, and thought.1 As a result, persons with dementia, especially in the later stages of the disease, may be unable to understand explanations, follow directions, report symptoms, express needs, ask for help, or correctly interpret emotions in verbal communications.2 These communication problems have profound implications for effective interactions in long-term care homes (LTCHs)
In LTCHs, the responsibility for ensuring that a resident receives optimal care often falls on unregulated care providers, such as nursing assistants who may not be equipped with effective communication skills for caring for residents who have communication problems
The present study addressed the following questions: 1. How much do care providers adhere to communication plans developed as part of the resident-centered communication intervention (RCCI) when providing care to residents with dementia?
Summary
Dementia is a condition that impairs the cognitive brain functions of memory, language, perception, and thought. As a result, persons with dementia, especially in the later stages of the disease, may be unable to understand explanations, follow directions, report symptoms, express needs, ask for help, or correctly interpret emotions in verbal communications. These communication problems have profound implications for effective interactions in long-term care homes (LTCHs). Persons with dementia, especially in the later stages of the disease, may be unable to understand explanations, follow directions, report symptoms, express needs, ask for help, or correctly interpret emotions in verbal communications.. Persons with dementia, especially in the later stages of the disease, may be unable to understand explanations, follow directions, report symptoms, express needs, ask for help, or correctly interpret emotions in verbal communications.2 These communication problems have profound implications for effective interactions in long-term care homes (LTCHs). Purpose: To determine the effects of a communication intervention on residents’ quality of life (QOL) and care, as well as care providers’ perceived knowledge, mood, and burden. Conclusion: The results suggest that the communication intervention demonstrates preliminary evidence of positive effects on residents’ QOL and care providers’ mood and burden
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