Dementia affects 50m people worldwide. In Portugal, it affects 182,521 people and this will increase to 322,000 by 2037. The prominence of dementia highlights social concerns and their implications for successful healthcare. Understanding the needs, desires and emotions of people with dementia becomes more difficult as the disease progresses. Overcrowding and complex clinical practices at emergency care can bring difficulties for healthcare professionals to have the time to communicate appropriately with patients. This situation can impact patients’ motivation to better collaborate in their care plans.

This research project is looking at communication between healthcare professionals and patients with dementia in the hospital to identify ways to improve it.