Skilled communication in care planning conversations
Practical communication strategies for everyday practice, with reflective exercises to help build confidence and skills.
INTRODUCTION TO MODULE 3: SKILLED COMMUNICATION IN DEMENTIA CARE PLANNING CONVERSATIONS
Communication is at the heart of personalised dementia care planning. The way we listen, ask questions, explain information and involve people in conversations can make a real difference to how understood, supported and involved people feel.
This is the largest and most detailed module in the toolkit. It focuses on the practical communication skills that support meaningful dementia care planning conversations.
The resources in this module range from quick-reference guides that can be used in practice to more detailed learning materials that explain the rationale behind different approaches and provide opportunities for reflection and skill development.
The resources have been numbered as a suggested learning pathway. You may find it helpful to work through them in order, particularly if you are new to dementia care planning conversations. However, resources can also be used flexibly depending on your role, experience and learning needs.
This module contains:
1. Top Tips: Preparing for a dementia care planning conversation
Practical guidance to help you prepare yourself and support the person and family to prepare for the conversation.
2. Quick prompt sheet
A one-page ‘in the moment’ guide that can be used during conversations to support a flexible, person-centred approach.
3. Flexible structure for dementia care planning conversations
A more detailed guide to help you move through a dementia care planning conversation. It expands on the one-page prompt sheet and is organised around five stages: communication strategies to use throughout, starting well, exploring what matters, ending clearly, and after the conversation. It includes practical communication tips, example questions and phrases, and suggestions for how to adapt conversations to support understanding, participation and engagement. This resource can be used for self-directed learning, supervision, workshops and team discussions.
4. Self-reflection tool
A reflective tool to support ongoing learning and development from your own practice.
5. Storyboards and reflective activities
Professionally illustrated storyboards based on real dementia care planning conversations. Created in partnership with an artist, these storyboards bring common communication challenges and opportunities to life through realistic scenarios involving people with dementia, carers and practitioners.
Each storyboard is accompanied by reflective questions and practice pointers designed to support discussion, critical reflection and learning. The aim is not to identify a single ‘right’ answer, but to encourage practitioners to think about how communication choices can influence understanding, participation, relationships and decision-making.
The storyboards can be used individually, in supervision, team meetings, workshops or training sessions.
Additional storyboards are currently being created covering topics such as using visual resources and written prompts to support communication and balancing the perspectives of people with dementia and carers when views differ.
Storyboard 1: Jane
Storyboard 2: Margot
Storyboard 3: Anika
6. What could make a difference?
An example of a resource to send to people with dementia and their carers before a care planning conversation and/or to look at together during the conversation. This resource was developed a project called PriDem. It can be adapted to suit the needs of individual settings.
7. Question types in dementia care conversations quiz
An opportunity to test and develop your understanding of different question styles and their impact on conversations.
Coming soon
This module is continuing to develop.
Further reflective activities and discussion exercises are also being developed to support individual learning, supervision and group training sessions.