Effective Nonverbal Communication For Dementia Patients In Nursing Care

Communication Challenges for Dementia Patients

Case study 1 analysis

Question a

Nonverbal communication in nursing care is an essential attribute which entails body language communication. Body language communicates a lot, especially for terminally ill patients. Patients with dementia often fumble words and portray difficulty to express them. Inability to initiate communications is one of the common causes of agitation which the caregiver and the patient experiences get frustrated on. Better and effective communication improves the care of dementia patient such as patient Jackson in the case study. Better communication reduces agitation withdrawal and worrisome behaviors.  

Key basic nonverbal communication to be utilized for the patient entails the following;

Using a facial expression to express emotions seems to portray a lot and communicate how the patient is feeling with the disease or conditions affecting Patient Edith. The facial expression of happiness, comfortable and showing joy can be relayed to the patient.

Usage of eye contact on the patient offers meaningful information with regard to patient condition. The way to observe the patient speaks a lot with the inclusion of eye contact is key in developing patient engagement and reaction to the care process.

Enhancing touch is another way of nonverbal communication. Various types of touch can be used such as a thump handshake, gentle shoulder tap, warm hug and reassuring pat on the back is key in enhancing touch as an effective way of ensuring the patient is comfortable, (Gault, 2017).

Question b

Communication is vital in providing good and efficient dementia care, if left unattended to, communication challenges with the patient may have a significant effect on quality of life and care, poor communication will yield high levels of anxiety and depression, as the disease progresses, language skills for the patient declines. Stages in dementia development portray significant communication challenges. Key beneficial verbal communication techniques entail the following;

• Allowing the patient to respond and repeat as necessary, this gives time for question synthesis and digestion.
• Using supportive empathy and supportive responses so that to show feelings of empathy and understanding what is being communicated.
• Further, avoidance of negative responses and words like no, can’t, shouldn’t as they make the patient feel foolish and angry. Rather usage of positive responses is key which motivates the patient, (Stein-Parbury, 2017).

Question c

The basic key core nursing standards to offer support for disability case for the patient entails the following strategies;

This refers to movements of the face which express the personal touch feelings and facial features such as smiling and frowning.

This strategy involves the physical touching of the patient through holding hands and placing his hand on the patient arms or shoulder. In this way, the patient will feel being cared for and accommodated.

This refers to deliberate actions on the way of moving the hands and offering expressions of concerns such as thumbprint so as to show commitment or even fists showing to display anger or aggression, (NSW Government,  2014a).

Question d

Open disclosure refers to having open communication through adverse events which often result in harming the patient and casing anger to the patient while receiving care service. Associated principles of care entail;

• The open and timely disclosure which the nurses provide to the patient  and the family regarding what transpired in a timely manner
• Acknowledgment refers to making the adverse effects being known to the immediate family members as soon as the occurrence take place
• Offering support in meeting the needs and expectations of the family and the patient in order to enhance clinical skills which are associated with fall and management through systems s improvement, (Okuyama, Wagner & Bijnen, 2014; Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2013).

References

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2013). Australian open disclosure framework: Better communication, a better way to care. Sydney, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wpcontent/uploads/2013/03/Australian OpenDisclosure-Framework-Feb-2014.pdf

Gault, M. (2017). Communication in nursing practice. In G. Koutoukidis, K. Stainton, & J. Hughson (Eds.),Tabbner’s nursing care (7th ed., pp. 149-179).

NSW Government. (2014a). Core standards for nurses who support people with a disability: Communication and behaviour support for nurses appraisal. Retrieved from https://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0020/301781/Communication-and BehaviourSupport-for-Nurses-Appraisal.pdf

Stein-Parbury, J. (2017). Placing communication at the centre of person-centred care.In J. Crisp, C. Douglas, G. Rebeiro & D. Waters (Eds.), Potter and Perry’s fundamentals of nursing (5th ed., pp. 209-234)