Extending the Newcastle Model: how therapeutic communication can reduce distress in people with dementia
Resource
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This article identifies the importance of effective communication in delivering care to people living with dementia when their understanding of the situation may differ to ours. The Newcastle Model’s biopsychosocial framework is revisited to understand the context in which caregiving takes place, and the article goes on to consider the importance of communication to person-centred care delivery. The special case of lie telling or ‘therapeutic untruths’ as a communication tool is considered as an often essential way to join with the person’s reality, and the practical and ethical dilemmas this poses are considered.
Who is this resource for?
Explains what the component is for
This resource is aimed at nurses and nursing support workers across all settings and levels of practice, including students of health, social work and care professions.
Why you should read this article
to enhance your understanding of how therapeutic communication can reduce levels of distress as well as behaviour that challenges among people with dementia
to be aware of the common, but often ignored, communication strategy of lie telling with people who have dementia and its associated moral, ethical and professional dilemmas
to count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)
to contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers).
