Communication partner training for aged-care workers: A scoping review.
Bridget Burton, Kirstine Shrubsole, Asmita Manchha and 2 others
PMID 39977832WHAT IT FOUND
Most communication training for aged-care staff targets one condition like dementia or aphasia.
Few programs address cultural, linguistic, or age-related communication differences. Training is usually delivered in person by clinicians, which limits scalability. Outcomes focus on staff knowledge rather than patient benefit.
Key findings
01The majority of identified communication partner training programs are disorder-specific, primarily targeting dementia or aphasia.
02No included articles reported training programs addressing culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
03Outcomes measured in the included studies were mostly focused on trainee knowledge and skills, with few measures of care recipient outcomes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review did not assess the quality or effectiveness of the identified programs, only their characteristics. Training manuals were often unavailable, limiting the ability to analyse specific content details. The search was limited to English-language publications, potentially missing relevant international research.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the existence of these 90 programs as evidence that they are effective or suitable for all aged-care contexts. The review highlights gaps, such as the lack of culturally responsive training, and notes that most outcomes measured staff knowledge rather than patient benefit.