Impact of an Elderspeak In-Service Training on Resident Well-Being, Self- Esteem, and Communication Satisfaction

reinforce negative stereotypes of aging, deprive older adults of meaningful interactions, and erode their well-being. A brief communication in-service training based on Williams, Kemper, and Hummert (2003) was presented to nursing home staff to replace elderspeak with more helpful communication behaviors. Resident staff interactions were coded, and impact of the training on -esteem, and well-being was assessed across three time periods. A separate unit of untrained staff and residents served as a comparison group. Significant reductions in the proportion of interactions containing features of elderspeak were observed for the trained staff, along with significant increases in resident satisfaction, well-being, and self-esteem.