Psychosocial care for people with dementia in long-term care :
[Thesis]
Thomas, Sasha Campbell
the use of dementia care mapping
University of Warwick
2003
D.Clin.Psy.
University of Warwick
2003
A substantial proportion of people with dementia is cared for within long-term care settings. There is currently a greater recognition of the importance of providing for these individuals' psychosocial needs, and "person-centred care" has emerged as an important approach. Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is a useful tool to evaluate and inform the provision of person-centred care. The aim of this work was to investigate the usefulness of DCM to improve the individual care provided to this group. The first paper provides an overview of psychosocial care for people with dementia in long-term care from a person-centred perspective. A review of the definitions of this type of care is provided and the models and approaches that attempt to guide psychosocial care provision are examined. The challenges of putting this care into practice and evaluating its effectiveness are also discussed. The second paper involves conducting a multiple baseline experimental design in order to investigate the effectiveness of DCM to inform the care plans for individuals with dementia in long-term care. The results from the study were inconclusive with regards to improvements in the patients. However, it is concluded that further investigations are warranted and recommendations are made. The aim of the third paper is to explore care staff's experience of DCM, as this method is very reliant on care staff accepting the changes to care delivery yet there is a paucity of research in this area. The results indicate that care staff perceive it to be a useful tool to inform their care practice but the method could be improved by including staff in this process. Finally, the process of carrying out this research, including the difficulties encountered, is reflected upon and the author's learning is discussed.