A recent study by NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) published on 14 December has been looking at communication between health care professionals and hospital patients with dementia:
"More than a quarter of hospital patients have dementia and many refuse food, drink, medication or requests to be examined. This presents healthcare professionals with a dilemma. They need to strike a balance between respecting a patient’s wishes, while also delivering effective care.
New research looked at the different ways of asking people with dementia to perform tasks or to agree to requests while they are in hospital. It found that having a range of ways of making requests led to more positive responses from patients who were confused or resisting care.
Professionals' phrasing, tone and question construction altered the chance of a positive response. Phrases such as “I was wondering…” displayed doubt and increased refusals. By contrast, “I am just going to…Is that alright?” implied that a task was about to happen and increased agreement.
The findings have been used to develop training materials to help professionals improve the way they communicate with hospital patients who have dementia".
Read the full report on their research on the NIHR website here: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/hospital-patients-dementia-careful-phrasing-cut-refusals/