Promoting Elderspeak Awareness: Adapting Changing Talk Online Communication Education for Adult Day Services Staff

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial in dementia care within long-term services and support (LTSS).
• Previous education on person-centered communication in nursing homes (NHs) reduced elderspeak and resident resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the Changing Talk Online (CHATO) education program with adult day services (ADS) staff.
• To identify strategies for adapting CHATO for broader LTSS settings.

Main Methods:

• Three dementia-specific ADS sites implemented the CHATO program.
• Staff completed pre- and post-assessments of knowledge, communication skills, and confidence.
• Focus groups assessed program feasibility, applicability, and tailoring needs.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in knowledge test scores (15 percentage points, p < 0.001) and confidence in dementia care (p = 0.037).
• High intention to use learned skills (Modified Diffusion of Innovation score 2.2), comparable to NH findings.
• Positive program evaluations and recommendations for ADS-specific scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The CHATO program is effective in enhancing dementia communication skills for ADS staff.
• The program demonstrates feasibility and adaptability across different LTSS settings.
• Tailoring content to specific settings like ADS can further improve its impact.