The Impact of negativity in Communication

To fully appreciate the impact of negative language, it is necessary to move beyond theory and consider lived experience.

Imagine an older woman who has always valued her independence, enjoyed socialising, and taken pride in her appearance. Now living with dementia and struggles to remember recent events and occasionally needs assistance with personal care. When she hesitates, a caregiver says, “You’re being difficult again.” “Why have you forgotten how to put your lipstick?”

She may not remember the exact words, but she feels the judgement. It lingers. The next time care is offered, she resists not because she does not need help, but because the interaction no longer feels safe.

Now let’s consider an alternative in the use of positive language: “It’s okay, we can take this slowly together.” Though the task remains the same, here, the experience is transformed. She feels she is no longer a problem and would be more amenable to care interventions.

The question then is, how can the problem of negative language be overcome?

Research suggest that this requires intentional as well as reflective practice by professionals. Key strategies to imbibe into practice to include:

Adopting validation approaches which highlights emotional meaning of interactions over factual correction. The use of supportive and inclusive language while avoiding language that may be critical or condescending can make all the difference to the experiences of the person with dementia.

Paying attention to all elements of communication both verbal and non verbal and being mindful of the notion ‘action speaks louder than words’ can help in any interaction. Ensuring that one’s tone of voice and body language align with the verbal message being voiced is equally important. Language it is obvious plays a great part in the delivery of a diagnosis of dementia or giving support to a person living with dementia.