title: Development of an observer rating scale for caregiver communication in persons with Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: There have been few reported studies of communication between spouses with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementia. An observer rating scale for verbal and nonverbal behavior, Verbal-Nonverbal Interaction Scale for Caregivers (VNVIS-CG), was developed to study caregiver communication in couples affected by AD. Preliminary psychometric testing showed that the VNVIS-CG evidenced good reliability and validity. Researchers observed both common caregiver communication strategies and novel strategies that have not been reported in the literature. In future studies, researchers can examine the relationship between caregiver communication and indicators of mental health. Everyday conversations provide fertile ground for nurses to influence family relationships. Nurses can teach caregivers to use strategies that promote engagement and avoid those that discourage participation.
authors.affiliation: Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, USA. cwill154@fau.edu
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D014743:Videotape Recording