JAMA Medical News Dementia's Cultural Narratives
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Oct 31, 2025 Nancy Berlinger, PhD, a senior research scholar at The Hastings Center, dives into the cultural narratives surrounding dementia, revealing their profound impact on patient care and life quality. She discusses the need for clinicians to utilize nonverbal communication and arts-based methods to connect with patients with advanced dementia. Berlinger emphasizes how harmful metaphors can stigmatize those living with the condition, while also addressing the limitations of a purely medical perspective. She offers practical tools for enhancing dementia care in primary settings.
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Stories Shape Dementia Care
- Narrative medicine emphasizes that patient, caregiver, and clinician stories shape care and are memorable.
- Societal stories about dementia influence expectations and should be examined by clinicians and educators.
Invite Voices Into Medical Training
- Invite people with dementia and caregivers into medical education settings to hear lived experiences firsthand.
- Use patient presence in Grand Rounds to teach clinicians how to learn from nonstandard communication.
Use Nonverbal And Arts-Based Approaches
- Attend to nonverbal communication like gestures and arts-based expression when verbal ability declines.
- Use music, theater, and arts programs to access long-term memory and support quality of life.