A non-verbal method for asking people with dementia about their care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Let's Ask: Finding a method to ask people with dementia who are non-verbal about their preferences for their care
IRAS ID
226003
Contact name
Zoe Lucock
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bangor University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
There is an increasing need to ensure that the third of people with dementia residing in care homes have a good quality of life. A key aspect of quality of life is the ability to make choices, exercising daily preferences about which clothes to wear, what to have for dinner, or how people will help you get dressed. However, for people in the more advanced stages of dementia, for whom speech is challenging, it can be difficult to determine preferences. Behavioural researchers have found that, for people who cannot communicate in conventional ways, one way is to measure how people respond when provided with different options at the same time. For example, to assess a person’s preference for a biscuit or scone, they are presented together for the person to choose without speaking.
Although there has been some research on giving people with dementia choices between food and leisure items, there is none on measuring people’s preferences for their environments (i.e., how afternoon tea is served, or how staff help with activities of daily living such as getting dressed or making food). We will explore a new method of measuring preferences for people with dementia and communication difficulties for the way they live.
We will evaluate an innovative way to assess people’s preferences by having choices of environmental conditions available at the same time and measuring which the person chooses. For example, if measuring preference for how afternoon tea is served, one staff member provides a cup of tea with a biscuit then leaves, one helps them to make the drink themselves, and one sits joins the person with a cup of tea. Preference is indicated by the staff member with whom the person with dementia chooses to interact. This method of assessing preferences ensures that social care provision is individualised.REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
17/WA/0204
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion