Post on 31-Dec-2015
© Karen Watchman
Intellectual Disability and Dementia
Communication strategies to enable inclusion in research
Alzheimer's Disease International 2012
Karen Watchman
Agenda
• Wider research
• Communication strategies with three participants
• Key points about communication
PhD research aims
To determine the process of increased marginalisation after a diagnosis of dementia in people with Down’s syndrome
Consideration of how far experiences were constructed by people with Down’s syndrome and how far they were socially constructed by others.
© Karen Watchman
Participants
• Lucy – shared intellectual disability group home
• Hannah – generic care
home
• Andrew – individual tenancy
with outreach support© Karen Watchman
Lucy
• Initially verbal
• Recognised photographs
• Increasingly non-verbal
• Developed strategy with pictures
© Karen Watchman
© Karen Watchman
© Karen Watchman
© Karen Watchman
Hannah• Limited verbal capacity
although could sing
• Early interest in my handbag
• Tactile/touch
• Importance of silence
• Body language
• Staff underestimated her abilities
© Karen Watchman
Andrew• Maintained verbal capacity
• Increased difficulty with ‘word finding’
• Staff overestimated his abilities
• No adaptation of cues
• Increased isolation
© Karen Watchman
Findings
• Importance of pictorial communication
• Importance of touch and affection
• Individual preferences
• Importance of silence
• Beware of under or over estimating ability
• Environmental impact
• Knowledge of previous communication strategies
© Karen Watchman
Key Messages
• People with dementia can communicate through to end of life
• Communication requires an individual, proactive approach
• Getting communication right can have a positive impact on wellbeingand inclusion
© Karen Watchman
Contact Details
Email K.Watchman@ed.ac.uk
UoEHealthSocSci
(Dementia education, research and information)
MSc Dementia at University of Edinburgh (part-time, online)
www.ed.ac.uk/health-social-science/issh/dementia
© Karen Watchman