Improving outcomes of nursing home interactions

In this study, an intervention designed to improve staff-resident communication was evaluated in three nursing homes. Audio recordings of staff speech from baseline, and immediately and 2 months post-intervention, were compared on elderspeak (infantilizing speech) and rated for care, respect, and control. After the intervention, staff used less elderspeak (i.e., diminutives, collective pronoun substitutions, shortened statements, and simplistic vocabulary). Immediate post-intervention conversations were rated as less controlling, but more respectful and caring. After 2 months, communication was more controlling, less respectful, and less caring. Reduction in staff elderspeak use continued for psycholinguistic measures, but improvements in care, respect, and control decayed, suggesting the need for ongoing reinforcement of training.