The lived experience of spiritual well-being amongst family caregivers of persons with dementia on palliative care

Equipping Families and Friends to Offer Spiritual Care to People Living with Dementia: Findings from a Meta-Synthesis

Our work presents a meta-synthesis of 76 peer-reviewed, qualitative-research journal articles related to our research interest in the spiritual care training available for relatives and friends of people living with dementia. A total of 244 articles was reviewed prior to the application of selection criteria. The final sample of 2698 research participants across our selection of 76 peer-reviewed qualitative-research studies serves to demonstrate the value of spiritual care as an aspect of holistic palliative and dementia care. The development and implementation of spiritual-care standards and practices in healthcare generally is increasingly widespread. Most current training resources are designed for healthcare professionals, and our meta-synthesis identifies the need for training resources that equip and train volunteer spiritual carers, namely, the relatives and friends of people living with dementia. Our meta-synthesis suggests there is a need to develop training resources that equip relatives and friends with skills that prioritise attentive presence, spiritual intelligence, emotional intelligence, and, primarily, sensory spiritual practices. Beyond this meta-synthesis, developing and trialling suitable training materials and events will become the focus of an action research project.

Home-dwelling older adults' attitudes and perceptions of dementia: A Q-methodological study in South Korea

AIM

Older adult attitudes and perceptions of dementia can have a major impact on early diagnosis, efforts to prevent and appropriately treat it, as well as being a family burden. The aim of this study is to explore attitudes and perceptions of dementia of home-dwelling older adults using Q-methodology.

METHOD

A total of 42 adults, age 65 or over, who live in South Korea ranked 37 Q statements about their attitudes and perceptions of dementia into A Q sort table grid.

RESULTS

The following three distinct viewpoints were extracted: (1) it is my responsibility to prevent and to care about dementia (family-centered view); (2) there are no ways to treat dementia (despairing views); and (3) dementia is a national responsibility (nation-centered view).

CONCLUSION

Based on these results, central and local government and communities should work together with older adults to manage dementia and reflect these three viewpoints when developing systematic dementia management programs.