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Communication between individuals with dementia and their caregivers during activities of daily living

School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Kathy Geldart, MA

Gloria Gutman, PhD

Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Much previous research has focused on linguistic factors that can lead to communication breakdown in caregiver-patient interactions. However, the impact of such linguistic deficits on communication may vary depending on the context, goals, and complexity of the interaction. As a result, the likelihood of experiencing communication problems is expected to differ across different activities. In the present study, family caregivers of persons with dementia were asked to discuss communication challenges that they have experienced in a range of daily activities in the home. Four focus groups, involving a total of 22 caregivers, were conducted in community settings. The main goal of the focus groups was to identify specific daily activities in the home in which caregivers most often experience communication problems. The content of the focus groups was audio recorded and transcribed, and then coded and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques. The analyses focused on identifying trends across caregivers in which particular activities were noted as being prone to communication breakdown at different stages of the disease. Information about which activities are most communicatively challenging should assist caregivers in preparing for and adapting to these changes.

American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 15, No. 5, 291-302 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/153331750001500511


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