Review Article
Year: 2020 | Month: July-September | Volume: 5 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 286-291
Strategies to Improve Communication during ADLs in Dementia: A Short Review
Gita Jyoti Ojha1, Sujata Moharana2
1Occupational Therapist, Department of Occupational Therapy, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Dilshad Garden, Delhi-110095
2Nursing Superintendent, BR Singh Zonal Railway Hospital Sealdah, Kolkata
Corresponding Author: Gita Jyoti Ojha
ABSTRACT
Dementia is a progressive condition affecting primarily memory, cognition and communication. With increasingly ageing population, it is reported to take significant proportions worldwide in near future. That places a huge burden not only on health care facilities, community support network but also on the families which forms the fabric of the society. Caregivers both professional and informal ones including family ,relatives etc. and the care recipients with dementia have to put up a lot of effort in facilitating everyday tasks due to dementia related issues like memory, communication and behavioural problems. A majority of the problems are attributed to communication difficulties. Even with sizeable body of evidences on intervention strategies targeting communication related issues in dementia, best practice guidelines are non-existent. In this context, this paper reviews a few upcoming research based programs and summarises on communication enhancement strategies which will empower the caregivers during ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) and improve quality of life of persons living with dementia in general.
Keywords: dementia, communication, caregivers, ADLs, communication strategies.