How do care staff in residential aged care facilities conceptualise their non-verbal interactions with residents with dementia and what relevance has this for how residents' preferences and capacity for decision-making are understood?. (July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cameron, Nadine; Fetherstonhaugh, Deirdre; Bauer, Michael; Tarzia, Laura
• Is Part Of: Dementia. Volume 19:Number 5(2020)
• Page Start: 1364
• Page End: 1380
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Subjects: aged care -- body -- dementia -- non-verbal communication -- residential aged care facilities -- supported decision-making; Psychiatric social work -- Periodicals; Social work with older people -- Periodicals; Dementia -- Periodicals; 362.19683005
• DOI: 10.1177/1471301218798422
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-3012

Abstract

This paper considers the significance of how staff in residential aged care facilities interpret the non-verbal communication and behaviour of residents vis-a-vis their assessments of residents' preferences and ability to participate in decision-making. It highlights the risks associated with staff members' failure to interpret residents' non-verbal communication and behaviour with reference to residents' backgrounds and prior experiences. It also considers how non-verbal communication implemented by staff may impact residents' emotional state and, as a consequence, decision-making abilities. Drawing on interview data with aged care staff from Queensland and Victoria, it demonstrates that care staff in residential facilities appear to rely heavily on non-verbal signals in assessing the decision-making capacity and preferences of residents with dementia. It also indicates that many staff fail to consider residents' non-verbal communication and behaviour with due consideration of residents' individual histories.