Many patients with advanced dementia can no longer speak or comprehend language. Researchers are finding that nonverbal dementia patients often receive substandard care because their caregivers don’t know how to communicate with them.
A nonverbal patient, for example, might refuse meals because they don’t recognize a food’s texture. Or a patient might become combative during bath time because they don’t understand what is happening. Over time, skipping meals leads to malnutrition, and cutting bath time short leads to poor hygiene.
In recent years, researchers have increasingly focused on how to communicate with a person who has dementia. Their findings can be helpful to someone who works with dementia patients in a clinical setting or someone who cares for a loved one at home.
