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Non-Verbal Communication in Nursing Home Settings.
Zunera Khan1, Miguel Vasconcelos Da Silva1, Daniel Kramarczyk1
1Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AZ, UK.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 14, 2026
Summary
Non-verbal communication (NVC) is crucial for nursing home residents with dementia as verbal skills decline. Staff extensively use NVC, like facial expressions and eye contact, to understand needs and improve care quality.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nursing Science
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Nursing home residents with dementia face cognitive and communication decline, impacting quality of life.
- Non-verbal communication (NVC) becomes vital for interaction as verbal abilities diminish.
- NVC encompasses facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and touch.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate current non-verbal communication (NVC) practices between nursing home staff and residents with dementia.
- To understand how NVC facilitates interaction and care in dementia settings.
Main Methods:
- Mixed methods, cross-sectional study design.
- Anonymous online questionnaires for nursing home staff assessing NVC use.
- Quantitative Likert scale data and qualitative phenomenological analysis.
Main Results:
- Residents frequently utilized facial expressions, eye contact, and touch.
- Staff reported high usage of facial expressions, eye contact, and hand gestures.
- NVC aids in interpreting resident needs, emotional connection, and managing behavioral symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Non-verbal communication (NVC) is fundamental in dementia care settings.
- There is a need for structured training to enhance staff's NVC recognition and response skills.
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