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Elderspeak Communication: Impact on Dementia Care

School of Nursing, University of Kansas Medical Center, kwilliams1{at}kumc.edu

Ruth Herman, PhD

School of Nursing, University of Kansas Medical Center

Byron Gajewski, PhD

School of Allied Health, University of Kansas Kansas City, Kansas

Kristel Wilson, BS

School of Nursing, University of Kansas Medical Center

Resistiveness to care is common in older adults with dementia. Resistiveness to care disrupts nursing care, increasing costs of care by 30%. Elderspeak (infantilizing communication used by nursing staff) may trigger resistiveness to care in individuals with dementia. Videotaped care episodes (n = 80) of nursing home residents with dementia (n = 20) were coded for type of staff communication (normal talk and elderspeak) and subsequent resident behavior (cooperative or resistive to care). Bayesian statistical analysis tested relationships between staff communication and subsequent resident resistiveness to care. The probability of resistiveness to care varied significantly with communication (Bayes P = .0082). An increased probability of resistiveness to care occurred with elderspeak (.55, 95% CrI, .44-.66), compared with normal talk (.26, 95% CrI, .12-.44). Communication training has been shown to reduce elderspeak and may reduce resistiveness to care in future research.

Key Words: dementia care • communication • problem behaviors • resistiveness to care

This version was published on February 1, 2009

American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 24, No. 1, 11-20 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1533317508318472


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