Preconditions for Communication in the Care of Bilingual Demented Persons

This study describes how demented immigrants' communicative performance together with caregivers who speak/do not speak these people's native language relates to the demented persons' cognitive, linguistic, and neuropsychological abilities. The study was carried out among demented per...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International psychogeriatrics 1994-03, Vol.6 (1), p.105-120
Main Authors: Ekman, Sirkka-Liisa, Wahlin, Tarja-Brita Robins, Viitanen, Matti, Norberg, Astrid, Winblad, Bengt
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer Disease - psychology
Bilingualism
Caregivers
Caregivers - psychology
Clinical Practice and Service Development
Communication
Communication Barriers
Competence
Dementia
Dementia - psychology
Emigration and Immigration
Female
Finland - ethnology
Health care expenditures
Humans
Immigrants
Language
Life history
Linguistics
Long-Term Care
Male
Middle Aged
Native language
Neuropsychological Tests
Physical examinations
Quality of life
Sweden
Verbal Behavior
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Summary:This study describes how demented immigrants' communicative performance together with caregivers who speak/do not speak these people's native language relates to the demented persons' cognitive, linguistic, and neuropsychological abilities. The study was carried out among demented persons who were born in Finland and had immigrated to Sweden. Their life history, linguistic history and linguistic behavior, and communication in standardized situations were assessed. Neuropsychological and medical examinations were performed for diagnostic reasons. The results show that many of these Finnish immigrants had difficulties communicating with their Swedish-speaking caregivers, while their communication with a Finnish-speaking caregiver was adequate. The frequent misunderstanding of a person's message often leads to a one-way communication, in which the caregiver commands and interrupts the demented person. The demented Finnish immigrants functioned on a level of manifest competence that seemed far below their level of latent competence. It seems reasonable that the presence of Finnish-speaking caregivers is an environmental change that would markedly enhance the demented Finnish immigrants' performance and quality of life and also reduce the costs for their care.
ISSN:1041-6102
1741-203X
DOI:10.1017/S1041610294001675