Talking Mats: the effectiveness of a low technology communication framework to help people with dementia express their views

Abstract

The aims of this project were to establish whether Talking Mats, a low tech communication framework, helps people with dementia to communicate and to examine how effective the Talking Mats framework is for people at different stages of dementia. Thirty‐one people at three stages of dementia were interviewed about their well‐being under three interview conditions ‐ an unstructured (ordinary) conversation, a structured conversation and using the Talking Mats framework.The results indicated that conversations using the Talking Mats framework improved communication for people at all stages of dementia but that not all people at late‐stage dementia could use the Talking Mats framework effectively.The researchers concluded that the Talking Mats framework may therefore play an important role in improving quality of care by providing a simple, low‐cost tool that family and staff can use to engage with people with dementia and help them express their views about a range of topics.

Using Action Research to Design Bereavement Software: Engaging People with Intellectual Disabilities for Effective Development

“…Previous research had identified that photographs and pictures enhance communication with people with intellectual disability (Jackson & Jackson 1999), particularly when offering bereavement counselling and support (Hollins & Sireling 1991; Read 1999; Tuffrey‐Wijne & Bernal 2003 ). In addition, there exists some precedents for image‐based techniques; what is essentially a modified version of the Repertory Grid, known as ‘Talking Mats’, has been used successfully with people with severe intellectual disability (Bell & Cameron 2003) and dementia (Murphy et al. 2007).…”

Using the WHO-ICF with Talking Mats to Enable Adults with Long-term Communication Difficulties to Participate in Goal Setting

“…Talking Mats is now an established communication tool world-wide, both in clinical practice and in research (Cameron & Murphy,2001, 2002Gillespie, Place, & Murphy, 2010;Murphy, 2006;Murphy & Cameron, 2008;Murphy, Cameron, Markova, & Watson, 2004;Murphy, Gray, & Cox, 2007;Murphy, Gray, Cox, van Achterberg, & Wyke, 2010). It is also used internationally in countries as diverse as Scandinavia, China, Malta, Croatia, South Africa, and Australia and is recognized as a tool that enables people of all ages with communication difficulties to be actively involved in expressing their own views (Bell & Cameron, 2003;Brewster, 2004;Bunning & Steel, 2006;Clare & Cox, 2003;Di Marco & Iacono, 2007;Dougall & Fiske, 2008;Germain, 2004;Grieveo, McLaren, & Lindsay, 2006;Hooton & Westaway, 2008;Pawson, Raghavan, & Small, 2005;Raghavendra, Bornman, Granlund, & Björck-Åkesson, 2007;Taylor, 2007;Whitehurst, 2006;young & Chesson, 2007).…”

The use of Talking Mats to support people with dementia and their carers to make decisions together

“…Previous studies (Murphy et al. 2004, 2007, 2010a) found that the Talking Mats framework could be used by many (although not all) people at early, middle and late stages of dementia and that it improved their ability to communicate compared with usual conversation.…”

“…Previous studies (Murphy et al , 2007(Murphy et al , 2010a found that the Talking Mats framework could be used by many (although not all) people at early, middle and late stages of dementia and that it improved their ability to communicate compared with usual conversation. In particular, for people with early (and some with moderate) stage dementia, Talking Mats increased the period of time that their conversation stayed on track and the extent to which a communication partner understood their views.…”