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. 2022 Jul-Aug:46:52-60.
doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.04.027. Epub 2022 May 20.

The use of visual methods to support communication with older adults with cognitive impairment: A scoping review

Annie T Chen  1 , Andrew K Teng  2 , Jillian Zhao  3 , Mary Grace Asirot  4 , Anne M Turner  5
Affiliations

The use of visual methods to support communication with older adults with cognitive impairment: A scoping review

Annie T Chen et al. Geriatr Nurs. 2022 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Older adults with cognitive impairment often face difficulties with comprehension and communication, which can impact other cognitive processes such as decision-making. This scoping review investigates how visual methods can support older adults with cognitive impairment. The review involved querying four databases. From these databases, eleven articles fit inclusion criteria. This paper examines the purposes, use contexts, types, and effectiveness of the visual methods described in each study. The two major use contexts were elicitation of thoughts, feelings, and preferences in everyday life and health/healthcare related uses. Studies that used visual methods for eliciting preferences generally employed static visualizations. Health-related contexts employed more complex and interactive visualizations. Three studies used visual tools to support older adults in understanding; six, communication; and three, decision-making. None addressed all three outcomes of interest. This study provides recommendations and future directions for visual communication research with older adults with cognitive impairment.

Keywords: Cognitive impairment; Communication; Decision making; Understanding; Visual communication methods; Visualization.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of Competing Interest None.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA-ScR diagram depicting the article selection process.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Summary and Recommendations for Visual Communication Methods in Everyday and Health-Related Contexts. PwCI = Person with cognitive impairment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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