Rethinking Communication guide to advanced dementia

35 Back to basics When considering human communication we are likely to think first about language. Focusing on speech isn’t surprising, given that the spoken word is the method by which most of us interact. Language allows us to discuss countless topics and to exchange an infinite amount of information. We are aware that speech is not required for language. Language can be delivered in other forms. The hearing impaired can communicate linguistically by sign language; the visually impaired can use touch to decipher finger spelling. The central, and incredible, element of language is that it is ‘referential’. Sounds and gestures refer to objects and experiences that are not immediately present. The power of language lets us be simultaneously present and elsewhere. We can plan for the future, share memories of the past, describe ideas no one has ever had before. Language lets us share things beyond the here- and-now. As human beings, we love that.