CONNECT: Dementia Assessment in Skilled Nursing Communities

Assessment for people living with dementia in skilled nursing communities often prioritizes standardized cognitive screening over the information needed to guide communication-focused, person-centered care. Although clinicians frequently supplement required measures with observation and clinical judgment, these person-centered elements are often applied inconsistently and may not be systematically documented or integrated into care planning. This article repositions dementia assessment as an ongoing clinical process for understanding identity, communication, needs, environment, and participation in everyday life while still meeting required documentation expectations. We introduce CONNECT, a multidomain, strengths-based framework that complements required cognitive screening by organizing assessment around C ommunication and conversation, O bservation of routines and behavioral expressions, N eeds and preferences, N etwork of communication partners, E nvironment, C apacities and strengths, and T rajectory and quality of life. To illustrate clinical application, we present 3 case examples from skilled nursing communities (moderate-stage Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia in a bilingual resident with visual impairment, and logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia) demonstrating how different entry points into CONNECT can produce actionable recommendations that fit real-world workflows. Across cases, CONNECT supports brief, high-yield assessment strategies grounded in observation, partner input, and environmental scanning, and it links findings directly to feasible care planning and partner coaching. CONNECT offers speech-language pathologists a practical structure for integrating regulatory realities with person-centered dementia care, making assessment a mechanism for improving participation, reducing distress, and supporting quality of life in residential long-term care.