Individuals with dementia have communication limitations resulting from cognitive impairments that define the syndrome. Whereas there are numerous cognitive assessments for individuals with dementia, there are far fewer communication assessments. The Profiling Communication Ability in Dementia (P-CAD) was developed to address this gap. The purpose of the study was to answer the following research questions: 1) What is the validity and reliability of the P-CAD? 2) Is it sensitive to change over time in the cognitive communication ability of the person with dementia?

Tara Repository URl http://hdl.handle.net/2262/92953          

P-CAD is a now available for use by SLTs https://obrien.ie/p-cad.  It is a functional cognitive communication test designed for individuals with dementia. It includes tasks that allow the clinician to evaluate core communication competencies of auditory comprehension, verbal expression, reading and writing. Specifically, P-CAD was developed to help speech and language therapists to do the following:

(1) evaluate the communication abilities of individuals with dementia,

(2) determine the effect of specific strategies to improve communication,

(3) develop a profile of communication strengths and weaknesses, and

(4) track changes in communication abilities over time and as a result of intervention.

It is intended that P-CAD will inform care pathways on communication, be of benefit to the interdisciplinary team in supporting decision-making and therefore ultimately have a positive impact on the well-being of the person with dementia and their families.