Attitudes of health care personnel toward demented patients.

• Health care personnel (n = 724) working in psychogeriatric care, somatic and psychiatric long-term care, somatic and psychiatric general care and in homes for the aged, were interviewed by means of questionnaires evaluating attitudes and intentions regarding work with demented patients and education in their care. The overall attitude towards demented patients was positive. The largest numbers of personnel with positive attitudes were found in psychogeriatric care and somatic long-term care and the lowest in general medical and psychiatric care. The figure for positive attitudes in relation to education showed a similar figure for all categories. Given a free choice only 4% of the respondents had the intention of working solely with demented patients. A majority of the respondents reported that their knowledge of the care of demented patients came from clinical work. There is a strong need for further education.

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