Finding the Words When Illness Changes Everything

“Do you know the difference between a cat and a dog?” That may seem like an obvious question, but dementia can make even familiar distinctions difficult.

Elaine Wittenberg will explain why at the San Diego State University School of Communication’s second annual Berman Institute Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Communication room 207. It is open to the university community as well as the public.

Communication Lessons from Cancer and Dementia Care will highlight the importance of communication between families and healthcare providers during times of illness as well as ways to handle the challenges that arise throughout that process. 

Wittenberg is a professor at Cal State Los Angeles and is a researcher in patient-family caregiver-provider interactions, cancer care communication, health care team dynamics and nurse communication education. Throughout her career, she has written over 100 journal articles and books addressing these issues and educating on the importance of accurate communication in healthcare. Wittenberg is also a co-founder of COMFORT Communication Project, a program that focuses on improving healthcare professionals' communication in cancer care through research and curriculum. 

“The goal of the Berman Institute is to advance the advocacy, civility and common good of discursive practice,” said Rebecca de Souza, the director of the School of Communication. “Dr. Elaine Wittenberg really epitomizes the spirit of that.”

de Souza says Wittenberg was nominated by School of Communication faculty because her work is both deeply theoretical and practical. Wittenberg provides a glimpse into what students’ futures could look like  as she has her feet in both the worlds of research and on the ground work. 

While anyone is welcome to the lecture, graduate students involved in the program will have the opportunity to visit Wittenberg's office hours for smaller, one-on-one discussions. This is a part of the Berman Institute’s objectives of providing mentorship for graduate students. 

“The lectureship provides a forum where we can bring scholars in who are doing communication work with application and can start a conversation for our students, alumni and community,” said de Souza.

This year’s conversation centers on serious illnesses which may feel distant for college students but often becomes deeply personal as they enter adulthood. Watching parents care for aging grandparents can raise difficult questions. de Souza says this is where the communications major’s lessons become especially relevant. She believes these kinds of eye-opening conversations are important to have when students are young so that they are prepared for the inevitability of these situations.

The Berman Institute Distinguished Lecture Series was created as an opportunity to increase visibility for the School of Communication, and de Souza hopes to continue this tradition each year. For more information about the SDSU School of Communication, visit the website or contact Rebecca de Souza directly at [email protected].

“Communication is a relationship,” said de Souza. “It is the connecting force between human beings and systems, human beings and environments and human beings and political structures. It is a key interconnective tissue that binds everything together. It is really important to study the process in which that connection can be broken down and ways in which we can build stronger relationships.”