The Role of Communication and Teamwork in Dementia Patient Care

This report examines the crucial role of effective communication and teamwork in promoting patient safety within dementia care settings. The author highlights the interconnectedness of these two themes, emphasizing that without good communication, teamwork is ineffective, and vice versa. The report discusses the challenges faced by healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, in understanding and meeting the needs of dementia patients. It emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of the disease, more workforce, and effective communication strategies to overcome barriers and improve patient care. The report also references the importance of confidentiality and the impact of cognitive impairments on patients' ability to communicate. By exploring these themes, the report aims to contribute to improved dementia patient care through enhanced teamwork and communication.

How effective communication and good teamwork promote dementia patient safety.
The two themes chosen by me are teamwork and communication. These two aspects are often
associated together because without proper communication, teamwork remains ineffective.
Similarly, if there is lack of teamwork, communication remains ineffective. These two themes
can’t be separated as they are one. Effective communication and teamwork plays a significant
role in taking care of people with dementia. With ageing population, healthcare witnesses
changes all the time. As dementia progresses, additional support is needed for people with
dementia and sometimes due to confusion, people often forget things. For nurses to have a sound
understanding of the disease, to alleviate the barriers and facilitate patient’s safety and care, it is
important to acquire more workforce. All the caregivers should impart deep understanding to
establish good communication and teamwork. To maintain the confidentiality, the name of the
people is not revealed as stated by NMC 2018.
Individuals with dementia face difficulty in communicating properly due to their cognitive
disability which also affects the standard of care they receive. Nurses sometimes faces difficulty
in understanding the care a patient needs. Dementia patients need additional support and help
because due to the progression of the disease, symptoms like confusion and decline in
understanding can be seen. It is expected that there should be effective communication and good
teamwork between the current work-force.