Professional care providers and stakeholders’ views of best practice in the care for persons with dementia in Sweden

• Introduction: Dementia implies progressive loss of mental and physical functions during the trajectory of the disease (Porter & Kaplan, 2012). Persons with dementia need involvement of various and several care providers throughout the stages of dementia, and more knowledge is needed about best practice strategies in this complexity of care (Gurner, 2001). The aim of the study was to explore professional care providers and stakeholders’ views of best practice in concepts of information, collaboration and communication in the care for persons with dementia in Sweden.Method: The study had a qualitative approach based on three focus group interviews with a variation among participants regarding professions and workplaces to represent different types of care for persons with dementia from diagnosis to end of life care. The transcribed verbatim was analyzed with qualitative content analysis.Preliminary results: In early stages primary health care specialized in dementia had close collaboration, training and mentoring, with memory clinic and home care. In the later stages the person with dementia had less frequent contacts with primary health care. Day care played an important role in information delivery of the disease, in collaboration with home and institutional care. In the latest stage the family had an important role as a proxy for the person with dementia about desires in the care.Conclusion: A well-functioning network in professional care seems to have an impact on persons with dementia to remain at home despite loss of mental and physical functions.On the behalf of RightTimePlaceCare consortium. http://www.righttimeplacecare.eu.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Persons with dementia

professional care providers

best practice

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)