Dementia care: are terms of endearment like ‘sweetheart’ comforting or condescending?

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In the emotionally complex world of dementia care, communication is more than just what we say – it’s how we say it. Terms of endearment like “darling”, “my lovely” and “sweetheart” are often used by healthcare staff with the best intentions: to comfort, connect and show warmth. But some people believe that elderspeak may sound patronising.

For my doctoral research, I collaborated with a team of researchers who study real-life acute hospital interactions...