BRIDGING THE GAP: USING IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE TO SUPPORT COMMUNICATION IN DEMENTIA CARE - Symposium

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Riley

Effective dementia care depends on person-centered, evidence-based approaches that improve outcomes for people living with dementia and their care partners. A central implementation challenge is communication: communication impairments are a core feature of dementia, and unaddressed impairments can limit sustainability, adaptation, and scale of interventions. This symposium examines integrating communication-based strategies into dementia care through implementation science for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, including multiple case studies and evaluations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Symposium Overview

Communication as an Implementation Challenge

Case Studies and Intervention Pathways

Real-World Adaptations and Broader Implications

52 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 SESSION 1165 (SYMPOSIUM) Abstract citation ID: igaf122.172 BRIDGING THE GAP: USING IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE TO SUPPORT COMMUNICATION IN DEMENTIA CARE Chair: Natalie Douglas Discussant: Allison Lindauer Effective dementia care relies on person-centered, evidencebased approaches that improve outcomes for people living with dementia and their care partners. A key challenge in implementing dementia care strategies is that it relies on effective communication—yet communication impairments are a core feature of dementia. Without addressing these impairments, even well-designed interventions may be difficult to sustain, adapt, or scale. Despite the critical role of communication in dementia care, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) remain underutilized in implementation efforts. This symposium explores how communication-based strategies can be successfully integrated into dementia care using implementation science principles, with lessons for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers working to enhance care delivery. First, a case study illustrates how unaddressed communication challenges create barriers to dementia care implementation.The second study maps care partner-reported distressing behaviors to speech-language pathology interventions, highlighting how communication-based strategies can be tailored to both individual and contextual needs. The third study presentsa scalable, technology-based intervention designed to foster social engagement for dementia care partners, illustrating the importance of addressing communication needs beyond direct patient care. The fourth study evaluates a real-world adaptation of Dementia Collaborative Coaching, where care providers are trained in communication strategies to improve dementia care delivery in resource-limited settings. Together, these studies illustrate how applying implementation science principles to communication-based dementia care strategies can enhance care outcomes, improve intervention sustainability, and reduce care partner burden. These findings have broad implications for gerontologists, healthcare professionals, and policymakers committed to improving dementia care.

FAQs

Why is communication critical for implementing dementia care strategies?

Communication impairments are core to dementia. When communication needs are not addressed, even well-designed interventions can be hard to sustain, adapt, or scale.

What role do speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play in the symposium’s focus?

SLPs remain underutilized in implementation efforts. The symposium explores how communication-based strategies can be integrated into dementia care using implementation science.

What study types are included in the symposium?

The symposium includes a case study on implementation barriers from unaddressed communication challenges, studies mapping care-partner reported behaviors to speech-language pathology interventions, and a technology-based scalable approach to support social engagement, plus a real-world adaptation evaluation.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Riley