Communication skills that convey your feeling to dementia patients

Abstract

It is often very difficult and time–consuming to care dementia patients who have short term memory loss or trouble in understanding medical treatment. In our hospital, when nurses have difficulty in caring dementia patients, Dementia&Delirium Support Team (D2ST) provides advices or support for caring these patients. D2ST is based on the concept of person–centered care and help nurses to give best care to dementia patients. D2ST members include doctors and nurses who are specialized in treating elderly people or dementia patients.

One of the most important things to do when you care dementia patients is to communicate with them. Many medical staffs consider that it is impossible to have communications with dementia patients. However, with the implimentation of Humanitude, it becomes possible to have a good relationship with dementia patients. Humanitude is a comprehensive care methodology that emphasizes importance of eye contact, touch, verbal communication, and assist of upright position to care dementia patients. The most important thing in practicing Humanitude is to convey your respect for the patients as a human being with communication skills mentioned above and to provide every care in one sequence contains 5 elements. Humanitude has made possible for medical staffs to have better communications with dementia patients.

It is possible to have good relationships with dementia patients if you have the right skills for communication. Having the good communication skills, we will be able to practice person centered care to give better cares for dementia patients.