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Communication partner training for aged‐care workers: A scoping review.

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Title: Communication partner training for aged‐care workers: A scoping review.
Authors: Burton, Bridget1,2 bridget.burton@uq.edu.au, Shrubsole, Kirstine1,2, Manchha, Asmita1,2, King, Michelle1,2, Wallace, Sarah J.1,2
Source: International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). Mar/Apr2025, Vol. 60 Issue 2, p1-27. 27p.
Subject Terms: *Health services accessibility, *Communicative competence, *Educational outcomes, *Internship programs, *Aphasia, *Confidence, *Communication, *Aging, *Communication education, *Cultural pluralism, Elder care, Medical information storage & retrieval systems, Research funding, Evidence gaps, Medical quality control, Evaluation of human services programs, CINAHL database, Social factors, Descriptive statistics, Population geography, MEDLINE, Systematic reviews, Client relations, Professions, Medical databases, Environmental exposure, Online information services, Dementia, Resource-limited settings, Psychology information storage & retrieval systems, Intergenerational relations, Psychosocial functioning
Geographic Terms: Australia
Abstract: Background: In aged‐care settings, direct care staff play a crucial role in supporting older people with communication needs. Many direct care staff, however, have unmet skill needs in interpersonal, intercultural, and intergenerational communication. Communication Partner Training (CPT) provides a potential solution. However, it is not known if existing programs address the diverse communication needs encountered in aged‐care settings. We sought to identify the key features of existing CPT programs to determine their suitability for the Australian aged‐care context. Aims: To identify existing CPT programs relevant to aged‐care settings and to describe their content and format. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in alignment with the Joanna Briggs Manual for Evidence Synthesis and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines. Using a systematic search, we identified peer‐reviewed articles from five electronic databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane and CINAHL. All retrieved articles were screened by title and abstract; 20% were independently screened by a second reviewer. All full‐text articles were independently assessed by two reviewers. Data describing the content and format of identified CPT programs was extracted using the Intervention Taxonomy and an author‐developed tool. Main Contribution: This review highlights critical gaps in existing CPT programs for aged‐care settings. Identified programs were predominantly disorder‐specific (79%), with the vast majority focusing on conditions like dementia or aphasia and failing to address broader communication needs arising from personal, social and environmental factors. Notably, no programs addressed intercultural communication, despite known cultural and linguistic diversity among aged‐care workers and recipients in countries such as Australia. Furthermore, few (9%) included intergenerational communication considerations. Most programs relied on in‐person delivery methods (67%), often led by health professionals (71%), which may be impractical for resource‐constrained and geographically dispersed aged‐care services. Furthermore, reported outcome measures varied (187 across 90 articles), and few evaluated both trainee and client (the 'dyad') outcomes. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive, scalable and contextually relevant CPT programs to address the complex communication challenges seen in aged‐care settings. Conclusions: There is a need for a comprehensive CPT program that is fit‐for‐purpose for direct care staff in aged‐care settings. This program should address the multifaceted and intersecting communication support needs of aged‐care recipients, including intercultural and intergenerational communication differences. The program should also incorporate resource‐feasible delivery methods and evaluate dyadic communication outcomes. Closing these gaps is vital to enhancing quality of care and life for older adults in aged‐care settings. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Many older Australians have complex, unmet communication support needs. In aged‐care settings, direct care staff play a crucial role in supporting older people to communicate. Many aged‐care workers, however, have their own unmet skill needs in interpersonal, intercultural and intergenerational communication. Communication partner training (CPT) provides a potential solution. However, it is not known if existing programs address the diverse communication support needs encountered in aged‐care settings. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Using a scoping review methodology, we identified and described CPT programs for direct support staff who work with older adults. Most CPT programs were disorder‐specific and targeted communication needs in dementia or aphasia. As aged‐care recipients have multifaceted, complex and intersecting communication support needs, these programs may fall short of addressing the training needs of aged‐care workers. The mode of training delivery was predominately in‐person and health professional‐led. Such delivery modes may not support implementation given resource constraints across the Australian aged‐care sector. CPT that can be feasibly implemented in aged‐care settings to address complex and intersecting communication support needs is required. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Our analysis highlights the need for comprehensive, disorder‐agnostic CPT tailored for aged‐care staff to address diverse communication support needs. This CPT should consider scalable delivery modes effective across Australia's vast geography and limited trainer availability. It must include outcome measures reflecting the perspectives of communication support partners—older Australians in aged care with communication challenges. To tackle the health, personal and environmental communication barriers in aged care, a fit‐for‐purpose CPT program, co‐designed with key stakeholders, is essential to ensure the training is both feasible and acceptable to meet the unmet needs of intended end‐users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Communication partner training for aged‐care workers: A scoping review.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+services+accessibility%22">Health services accessibility</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communicative+competence%22">Communicative competence</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+outcomes%22">Educational outcomes</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Internship+programs%22">Internship programs</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Aphasia%22">Aphasia</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Confidence%22">Confidence</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication%22">Communication</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Aging%22">Aging</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+education%22">Communication education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+pluralism%22">Cultural pluralism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elder+care%22">Elder care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+information+storage+%26+retrieval+systems%22">Medical information storage & retrieval systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evidence+gaps%22">Evidence gaps</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+quality+control%22">Medical quality control</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evaluation+of+human+services+programs%22">Evaluation of human services programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22CINAHL+database%22">CINAHL database</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+factors%22">Social factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Population+geography%22">Population geography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22MEDLINE%22">MEDLINE</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Systematic+reviews%22">Systematic reviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Client+relations%22">Client relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professions%22">Professions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+databases%22">Medical databases</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+exposure%22">Environmental exposure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Online+information+services%22">Online information services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dementia%22">Dementia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resource-limited+settings%22">Resource-limited settings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+information+storage+%26+retrieval+systems%22">Psychology information storage & retrieval systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intergenerational+relations%22">Intergenerational relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+functioning%22">Psychosocial functioning</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Background: In aged‐care settings, direct care staff play a crucial role in supporting older people with communication needs. Many direct care staff, however, have unmet skill needs in interpersonal, intercultural, and intergenerational communication. Communication Partner Training (CPT) provides a potential solution. However, it is not known if existing programs address the diverse communication needs encountered in aged‐care settings. We sought to identify the key features of existing CPT programs to determine their suitability for the Australian aged‐care context. Aims: To identify existing CPT programs relevant to aged‐care settings and to describe their content and format. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in alignment with the Joanna Briggs Manual for Evidence Synthesis and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines. Using a systematic search, we identified peer‐reviewed articles from five electronic databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane and CINAHL. All retrieved articles were screened by title and abstract; 20% were independently screened by a second reviewer. All full‐text articles were independently assessed by two reviewers. Data describing the content and format of identified CPT programs was extracted using the Intervention Taxonomy and an author‐developed tool. Main Contribution: This review highlights critical gaps in existing CPT programs for aged‐care settings. Identified programs were predominantly disorder‐specific (79%), with the vast majority focusing on conditions like dementia or aphasia and failing to address broader communication needs arising from personal, social and environmental factors. Notably, no programs addressed intercultural communication, despite known cultural and linguistic diversity among aged‐care workers and recipients in countries such as Australia. Furthermore, few (9%) included intergenerational communication considerations. Most programs relied on in‐person delivery methods (67%), often led by health professionals (71%), which may be impractical for resource‐constrained and geographically dispersed aged‐care services. Furthermore, reported outcome measures varied (187 across 90 articles), and few evaluated both trainee and client (the 'dyad') outcomes. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive, scalable and contextually relevant CPT programs to address the complex communication challenges seen in aged‐care settings. Conclusions: There is a need for a comprehensive CPT program that is fit‐for‐purpose for direct care staff in aged‐care settings. This program should address the multifaceted and intersecting communication support needs of aged‐care recipients, including intercultural and intergenerational communication differences. The program should also incorporate resource‐feasible delivery methods and evaluate dyadic communication outcomes. Closing these gaps is vital to enhancing quality of care and life for older adults in aged‐care settings. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Many older Australians have complex, unmet communication support needs. In aged‐care settings, direct care staff play a crucial role in supporting older people to communicate. Many aged‐care workers, however, have their own unmet skill needs in interpersonal, intercultural and intergenerational communication. Communication partner training (CPT) provides a potential solution. However, it is not known if existing programs address the diverse communication support needs encountered in aged‐care settings. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Using a scoping review methodology, we identified and described CPT programs for direct support staff who work with older adults. Most CPT programs were disorder‐specific and targeted communication needs in dementia or aphasia. As aged‐care recipients have multifaceted, complex and intersecting communication support needs, these programs may fall short of addressing the training needs of aged‐care workers. The mode of training delivery was predominately in‐person and health professional‐led. Such delivery modes may not support implementation given resource constraints across the Australian aged‐care sector. CPT that can be feasibly implemented in aged‐care settings to address complex and intersecting communication support needs is required. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Our analysis highlights the need for comprehensive, disorder‐agnostic CPT tailored for aged‐care staff to address diverse communication support needs. This CPT should consider scalable delivery modes effective across Australia's vast geography and limited trainer availability. It must include outcome measures reflecting the perspectives of communication support partners—older Australians in aged care with communication challenges. To tackle the health, personal and environmental communication barriers in aged care, a fit‐for‐purpose CPT program, co‐designed with key stakeholders, is essential to ensure the training is both feasible and acceptable to meet the unmet needs of intended end‐users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=183951544
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        Value: 10.1111/1460-6984.70016
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        Text: English
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        Type: general
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      – SubjectFull: Cultural pluralism
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      – SubjectFull: Elder care
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      – SubjectFull: Australia
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