Rethinking Communication guide to advanced dementia

this, we realise again how insightful the campaigner Tom Kitwood was when he said that a person with dementia will use whatever resources are available to make connections with other people. As more sophisticated means dwindle, it becomes necessary to fall back on the more basic, deeply embedded patterns established in childhood. One of the most exciting aspects of current attachment research is that scientists are now beginning to map specific aspects of attachment onto the symptoms frequently observed in dementia. An article by researchers based at Bangor University, published in 2013, 3 has been particularly helpful because it reviews nearly 20 research studies. Amongst its key findings is that the responses shown by people with dementia, during reunions with loved ones, are the same 3 S M Nelis, L Clare & C J Whitaker (2013, in press) Attachment in people with dementia and their caregivers: A systematic review. Dementia