Communication Skills Training for Dementia Care. A Systematic Review of Training and Pedagogical Techniques in Various Care Environments

Academic Paper from the year 2023 in the subject Nursing Science - Dementia, grade: A, , language: English, abstract: The aim of this systematic review is the evaluation of the effectiveness of the interventions regarding communication between both the carer as well as the patient suffering with dementia. Data was found through different search engines, mainly PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and Ovid. Research was done based on PRISMA guidelines. Almost 3,478 studies were extracted based on the titles and articles. While upon scrutiny only 9 fall under the desired data on effectiveness, efficacy and acceptability of communication intervention therapy among the dementia patients and their caregivers.

In general, training treatments alter challenging behavior or carer load. Also, acceptance levels were high. More for family caretakers than those who are licensed carers. Even though many treatments weren't backed by an unambiguous conceptual framework, person-centered care remained among the most frequently mentioned paradigms.

The study found that educational treatments improved carer understanding as well as interpersonal abilities. Successful strategies required engaged involvement from caretakers and were usually skill-based (which includes skill practice and conversation). Yet, improving the quality of life or mental health of caretakers and dementia patients may necessitate more specific treatments.