Finding the communication sweet spot: Strategies promoting personhood in conversations between individuals with dementia and their family members

Finding the communication sweet spot: Strategies promoting personhood in conversations between individuals with dementia and their family members
Journal of Family Communication; by R. Amanda Cooper, Chizobam Nweke, Hannah Brocksmith; 7/25
... this study explored the various ways through which family members promote the personhood of their loved ones with dementia. Personhood was promoted by reminding the people with dementia of their identities, encouraging them to share their thoughts, assessing and adjusting to their conversational needs, and cultivating relational connections with them. Some behaviors were inconsistent with the tenets of person-centered communication and involved underaccommodation or overaccommodation. The findings reveal potential strategies and pitfalls of promoting personhood within the family caregiving context.