For a nursing-home resident with late-stage progressive dementia, SLP intervention should primarily focus on:

For a nursing-home resident with late-stage progressive dementia, SLP intervention should primarily focus on:

• A. Recall of salient vocabulary words
• B. Conversation intelligibility
• C. Enhancing comprehension of social discourse
• D. Assisting in communication routines

Answer: (D)

For a nursing-home resident with late-stage progressive dementia, the focus of speech-language pathology (SLP) intervention should primarily be on assisting in communication routines. In late-stage dementia, individuals often experience significant communication difficulties, including reduced ability to initiate or sustain conversation and decreased understanding of language. Fostering communication routines helps create a structure that residents can rely on, promoting engagement and connection with caregivers and family. This may involve implementing familiar phrases, utilizing nonverbal communication strategies, and employing consistent routines that encourage interaction. By doing so, the SLP can support the individual’s communication needs, minimize frustration, and enhance their quality of life. While recall of vocabulary words, conversation intelligibility, and comprehension of social discourse might be important aspects of communication at earlier stages, they become less feasible as dementia progresses. In late-stage dementia, the emphasis shifts more toward maintaining meaningful interactions rather than achieving specific linguistic goals. Assisting in communication routines effectively addresses the unique challenges faced by individuals in this stage of dementia.

For a nursing-home resident with late-stage progressive dementia, the focus of speech-language pathology (SLP) intervention should primarily be on assisting in communication routines. In late-stage dementia, individuals often experience significant communication difficulties, including reduced ability to initiate or sustain conversation and decreased understanding of language.

Fostering communication routines helps create a structure that residents can rely on, promoting engagement and connection with caregivers and family. This may involve implementing familiar phrases, utilizing nonverbal communication strategies, and employing consistent routines that encourage interaction. By doing so, the SLP can support the individual’s communication needs, minimize frustration, and enhance their quality of life.

While recall of vocabulary words, conversation intelligibility, and comprehension of social discourse might be important aspects of communication at earlier stages, they become less feasible as dementia progresses. In late-stage dementia, the emphasis shifts more toward maintaining meaningful interactions rather than achieving specific linguistic goals. Assisting in communication routines effectively addresses the unique challenges faced by individuals in this stage of dementia.