Using drawings as a reflective tool to enhance communication in dementia care
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence & Practice    

Using drawings as a reflective tool to enhance communication in dementia care

Phil McEvoy Managing director, Six Degrees Social Enterprise, Manchester, England
Sue Bellass Project manager, Six Degrees Social Enterprise, Manchester, England

Communication skills training can be a valuable means of supporting professional and family carers of people with dementia. Most communication skills training programmes for those caring for people with dementia focus on dementia awareness and the technical aspects of communication, such as the pace and volume of the carer's speech. However, it is also important to examine what is conveyed about a carer's internal experience in their non-verbal interactions with people living with dementia. This article explores how drawings can be used to help carers to reflect on what is communicated and question any hidden assumptions. It discusses three case studies to demonstrate the complex dynamics that may be involved in interactions with people with dementia: the loss of shared memories, facing towards someone with dementia rather than away from them, and talking about issues that may be upsetting. Drawings provide a means for carers to access their unspoken thoughts and emotions, and can help them to improve their understanding of non-verbal interactions with people who have dementia.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2017.e10460

Correspondence

phil.mcevoy@nhs.net

Peer review

This article had been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Received: 14 February 2016

Accepted: 07 April 2016

Published online: 17 December 2016

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more