© 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