The needs of people with dementia: persons with dementia as important informants of one's individual needs
Abstract
The aging population brings with it an increased need to care for particularly vulnerable elderly patients, including a large group of people with dementia. Both for professionels and informal carrers, It is very importatn to know about the needs of people with dementia when provading care.
Most publications summarize theoretical principles, but do not provide up-to-date information on the needs of particularly vulnerable elderly patients, including those with dementia. The aim of the poster is to scoping review results of available studies reporting self-perceived needs of people with dementia receiving home care and to compare the identified needs with the needs reported by vulnerable older people in home care who have not been diagnosed with dementia.
To achieve the aim a scoping review of articles published between 2009 and 2018 was chosen as an appropriate method. Were searched database to indentify relevant studies exploring the needs of particularly vulnerable older people receiving home care both people diagnosed with dementia and those who have not been diagnosed with dementia.
Thus two scoping reviews were conducted. The method of thematic synthesis was used to analyze data from retrieved articles.
Based on the search, qualitative and quantitative studies have been identified. Qualitative studies used semi-structures interviews, most quantitative studies used as an assessment tool the Camberwell Assessment of Needs for the Elderly (CANE).
Other quantitative studies utilized by Johns Hopkins Dementia Care Needs Assessment (JHCNA). To categorize reported needs, we used a biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1997), extended by the area of environmental needs (Schmid, 2012).
Thematic synthesis has given us areas in which people with dementia and those who have not been diagnosed with dementia have reported their needs. Generally, vulnerable older people receving home care are able to express their needs and wishes.
Whether with or without dementia. It is therefore important that care professionals are aware of these needs and tailor care to these needs and wishes.
Typically, people with or without dementia report a significantly lower number of unmet needs than their carers.