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Background <p>Dementia is associated with progressive cognitive decline. Accompanying communication difficulties can negatively influence well-being and participation; however, individuals can retain meaningful communicative resources when adequately supported. Little is known about communication assessments that are usable across different healthcare professions and that address the full spectrum of communication behavior. This scoping review therefore maps available communication assessment instruments for people with dementia.</p> Methods <p>We searched Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and SpeechBITE for articles published between 2014 and 2024. Data on study characteristics and features of communication assessment tools (CATs) were extracted and synthesized narratively.</p> Results <p>A&#xa0;total of 33&#xa0;articles met the inclusion criteria. They were published in various languages and conducted in diverse settings (e.g., long-term care, outpatient services, acute hospitals). Within these studies, 14&#xa0;CATs for use with people with dementia were identified. Most tools are applicable across dementia types, whereas some require minimal verbal abilities or are restricted to specific subgroups.</p> Conclusion <p>The instruments differ in how they conceptualize and assess communication, ranging from communication skills to lived communication experiences. Careful tool selection is required based on assessment goals, target groups and available language versions. Limited language accessibility and insufficient evidence on feasibility across different healthcare professions highlight key gaps for future research.</p>

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Assessing communication in people with dementia

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月27日

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  • Doris Detter-Biesl,
  • Sebastian Rosendahl Huber,
  • Seda Er,
  • Melanie Karrer

摘要

Background

Dementia is associated with progressive cognitive decline. Accompanying communication difficulties can negatively influence well-being and participation; however, individuals can retain meaningful communicative resources when adequately supported. Little is known about communication assessments that are usable across different healthcare professions and that address the full spectrum of communication behavior. This scoping review therefore maps available communication assessment instruments for people with dementia.

Methods

We searched Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and SpeechBITE for articles published between 2014 and 2024. Data on study characteristics and features of communication assessment tools (CATs) were extracted and synthesized narratively.

Results

A total of 33 articles met the inclusion criteria. They were published in various languages and conducted in diverse settings (e.g., long-term care, outpatient services, acute hospitals). Within these studies, 14 CATs for use with people with dementia were identified. Most tools are applicable across dementia types, whereas some require minimal verbal abilities or are restricted to specific subgroups.

Conclusion

The instruments differ in how they conceptualize and assess communication, ranging from communication skills to lived communication experiences. Careful tool selection is required based on assessment goals, target groups and available language versions. Limited language accessibility and insufficient evidence on feasibility across different healthcare professions highlight key gaps for future research.