Investigating the public’s experiences and knowledge of communicating with people with dementia

Abstract

In a rapidly ageing society, a significant number of the elderly are susceptible to dementia, a condition that results in varying degrees of communication impairments. Yet, current research shows that many Singaporeans lack effective communication skills with patients with dementia, contributing to the increased loneliness felt by patients with dementia. In order to understand the severity of the issue mentioned, this project designed an online survey via Qualtrics which was distributed through snowball sampling to potential parties on various platforms such as social media and emails. With a total of 259 participants, our results show that Singaporeans generally lack technical communication skills when conversing with patients with dementia. Yet, many have had experiences communicating with patients with dementia. Results of this study add to previous research done on society’s treatment towards patients with dementia and also offer possible ways Singapore can be more inclusive towards the dementia community.