Dementia care: are terms of endearment like ‘sweetheart’ comforting or condescending?

By Lauren Bridgstock, Research Associate, Healthcare Communication, Faculty of Health and Education, School of Nursing and Public Health, Manchester Metropolitan University

In the emotionally complex world of dementia care, communication is more than just what we say – it’s how we say it. Terms of endearment like “darling”, “my lovely” and “sweetheart” are often used by healthcare staff with the best intentions: to comfort, connect and show warmth. But some people believe that elderspeak may sound patronising.

For my doctoral research, I collaborated with a team…

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