The utilisation of effective communication skills by health professionals serves as a crucial aspect in the delivery of quality healthcare and has been proven to improve coping, mitigate medical errors and ultimately increase treatment adherence. Successful therapeutic communication is achieved through the appropriate use of verbal and non-verbal mechanisms in conjunction with careful consideration of differences in communicative abilities, cultural orientation, social backgrounds and personal beliefs. Communication barriers frequently identified between health professionals and people with dementia (PwD) have been shown to significantly impact their quality of life, treatment effectiveness and progression of their condition.
Dementia is characterised by a progressive decline in memory function along with reasoning, expressive and comprehension abilities. Although the prevailing symptoms pose challenges to communication from health professionals, adopting a strength orientated approach by exploiting the many communication abilities retained by PwD allows the development of strategies to overcome existing barriers. The following report aims to examine the effectiveness of two communication skills, vocabulary and visual aids, in facilitating the provision of quality healthcare for PwD.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Vocabulary
- Reduced Grammatical Complexity
- Avoiding Pronouns
- Visual Aids
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This report aims to examine the effectiveness of two communication skills, vocabulary and visual aids, in facilitating the provision of quality healthcare for people with dementia (PwD). The focus is on how these strategies can help overcome communication barriers and ensure that PwD receive appropriate care and treatment.
- Importance of effective communication skills in healthcare delivery
- Communication challenges faced by health professionals working with PwD
- Vocabulary adjustments for enhanced communication with PwD
- The role of visual aids in improving communication and engagement with PwD
- Developing rapport and trust in the therapeutic relationship with PwD
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Introduction
The report highlights the significance of effective communication skills in healthcare delivery and emphasizes the challenges faced by health professionals in communicating with people with dementia (PwD) due to their cognitive decline. The report aims to explore the effectiveness of vocabulary adjustments and visual aids in overcoming these communication barriers.
Vocabulary
This section discusses the importance of tailoring vocabulary use to the receptive capabilities of PwD. It emphasizes the benefits of using short, simple sentences with reduced word complexity and avoiding the use of pronouns to facilitate comprehension and minimize cognitive overload. The importance of understanding the individual communication preferences of PwD is also addressed.
Visual Aids
This section explores the role of visual aids in reinforcing verbal communication and enhancing engagement with PwD. It highlights the use of pictures, written information, and other visual stimuli to assist with topic recall, conversation maintenance, and the delivery of instructions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key themes and concepts explored in this report include communication skills, dementia, vocabulary adjustments, visual aids, cognitive decline, communication barriers, rapport building, healthcare delivery, and quality of care.
- Quote paper
- Samuel Lehmann (Author), 2019, Communication Skills for Health Professionals Working with People with Dementia, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/514359
