The Impact of Dementia on Language and Identity in Migrants

Many migrants in Australia live most of their adult life speaking English daily, often learning it later in life. However, when they develop dementia—a brain condition that impairs thinking, memory, and daily functions—they may experience a profound loss: their second language. As dementia progresses, the fluency in the secondary language can fade, making the individual's first language, sometimes rooted in childhood, re-emerge and take precedence.

This phenomenon has significant implications for interpersonal communication, especially for those who rely on their second language for social interactions, healthcare, and maintaining cultural identity. For many, this language shift is not just a communication hurdle but a reminder of their earlier self, a version that family members and caregivers may not immediately recognize.

In Australia, over a quarter of the population with dementia (28%) come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, reflecting the nation's multicultural fabric. With an estimated 411,100 Australians living with dementia in 2023, this issue is both widespread and urgent.

Dementia causes changes to speech and language, and early symptoms often include repeating statements, difficulty finding words, unexpected topic switching, and unconventional word usage. Multilingual individuals may experience these effects differently, especially since dementia primarily impacts cognitive regions storing recent skills, including languages learned in adulthood. Conversely, languages acquired during childhood are more deeply ingrained in long-term memory, so individuals might lose fluency in their second language but retain their first.

This dynamic means that a person who migrated to Australia in their 20s and learned English may lose that ability but continue communicating in their heritage language—becoming a reflection of their past identity. Such shifts can lead to a loss of part of their life story and self, complicating care and family interactions.

The language barrier also hampers effective care. While interpreters are used in aged care and dementia support, most lack specialized training in dementia-specific communication. Interpreters outside major urban centers are scarce, increasing reliance on family members—who may face stress, exhaustion, and emotional burnout—especially when managing complex medical information and cultural nuances. Family caregivers often experience additional strain, feeling isolated due to language and cultural barriers and risking errors in care.

Enhancing dementia care with language and cultural awareness is vital. Initiatives such as online training programs for interpreters—covering dementia, aged care, and cross-cultural communication—have been shown to improve communication during assessments and support planning. In Australia, resources like Dementia Support Australia offer interpreter services, translated materials, and community programs such as 'language buddies' to foster reconnection with cultural roots.

Despite these efforts, much work remains. Expanding dementia-specific training for interpreters, educating health professionals on culturally responsive care, better matching interpreters to patients' cultural backgrounds, increasing bilingual healthcare workers, and developing multiscriptural resources are necessary steps to bridge the language gap. Such measures aim to ensure timely diagnosis and quality care for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-migrants-dementia-language-world.html