Environmental considerations

What are they?

Here, the environment refers to any setting where communication takes place. This might include a person’s home, a hospital, a care home or a doctor’s office.

Why are they important?

Communication doesn’t occur in a vacuum – things like décor, background noise and distracting activities all impact on communication in formal and informal care environments.

The environment for communication involving people living with dementia should help to reinforce and convey meaning.

It should not distract or make interaction between people difficult.

We all relate different types of communication – for example, an informal chat or a consultation – to different types of environment. Ideally, the environment for communication involving people living with dementia should provide cues and reinforcement – familiarity is helpful and minimizes anxiety.

The wrong kind of environment increases distraction, makes communication more difficult, and so increases anxiety.