APPLICATION OF TECHNIQUES ASSISTING THE COMMUNICATION WITH DEMENTIA PATIENTS BY STUDENTS – SOCIAL WORK

A review of the results from the work of students – Social works - with dementia patients is made in the present piece of work. 46 students of the Medical Faculty, Thracian University, Stara Zagora, participated in the study. The study methods included: a Clipper-questionnaire of Jennie Powell (1), which served for a detailed analysis of the behavior of dementia patients, a case study on an algorithm prepared in advance for the purposes of the study and a questionnaire prepared for the purposes of the study, with which the students evaluated their work with the patients. The obtained results describe the most frequently encountered activities, in which the people with dementia took part, and the techniques, which the students applied while working with them. The most frequently used techniques assisting the communication with dementia patients were: preparing an individual life profile; communication by using albums with memories; assisting the communication through old memories and versatile knowledge of life; non-verbal communication.