Does Alice Live Here Anymore? Autonomy and Identity in Persons Living and Dying With Dementia

Nurses' experiences of integrating the salutogenic perspective with person-centered care for older people in Swedish nursing home care: an interview-based qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Even though there has been a cultural change within residential aged care to a more person-centered care, there remain improvements to be made for a more consistent way of working. Using a salutogenic approach along with person-centered care is a potential way to promote it. This study aimed to describe nurses' experiences of combining person-centered care with a salutogenic approach at a nursing home for older people.

METHODS

Nine nurses, specially trained in salutogenesis and Sense of coherence, were individually interviewed using a semi-structured interview approach. Data was analysed through qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The nurses experienced that the residential aged care was improved by using salutogenesis and Sense of coherence as a complement to person-centered care. Core aspects of person-centered care were thereby promoted, as the resources of the older persons were emphasized, and aged care became more holistic. In addition to improved residential aged care, the results indicate that this manner of working also contributed to enhanced work satisfaction of the care personnel themselves.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that a salutogenic approach facilitates the implementation of person-centered care by focusing on the older persons' resources and maintaining health. The organization needs to prioritize training staff in salutogenesis and person-centered care, as it supports working toward a common goal and benefits both the older persons and the staff.

Development of a scale to evaluate nurses' recovery orientation in the dementia care

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Much research has been conducted on the relationship between recovery orientation and people diagnosed with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and mood disorders. A recovery-oriented approach by mental health professionals can reduce hospital stays and medical costs for people diagnosed with mental illness. There are similarities and differences between recovery-oriented approaches for individuals diagnosed with dementia and those diagnosed with mental illness. This reflects the characteristics of irreversible dementia. Although dementia courses at recovery colleges are increasing, dementia recovery is in its infancy and course content varies. The core of the recovery framework for individuals diagnosed with dementia is 'Continue to be me'. Recovery-oriented approaches and programmes have been developed by mental health workers for older adults, including those with dementia, but there are no outcome measures that reflect the characteristics of dementia care. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: We developed a scale to assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care, which has been found to be reliable, and although some validity issues remain, it is the first scale to objectively assess recovery orientation in dementia care. The emphasis is on helping people diagnosed with dementia maintain their identity, which is not adequately covered by existing measures of recovery. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The ability to objectively assess recovery orientation in dementia care allows us to identify areas of inadequacy. It can be used to reduce variation in the content of recovery college courses and as an indicator for evaluating training in recovery-oriented approaches to dementia care.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Programmes regarding recovery-oriented approaches for older people, including those with dementia, have been developed, but there are no clear indicators, and the process is still in its infancy.

PURPOSE

We developed a scale to assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care.

METHODS

A draft of a 28-item scale was developed based on interviews with 10 nurses, skilled in dementia care with a Japanese mental health perspective, and a literature review. A self-administered questionnaire was developed for nurses working in a dementia ward, and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test for convergent and discriminant validity. The Recovery Attitude Questionnaire was used to examine criterion-related validity.

RESULTS

An exploratory factor analysis produced a 19-item scale and identified five factors (KMO value: 0.854). The Cronbach's alpha for the overall scale was .856, with each subfactor showing a range of .742-.792, validating its reliability.

DISCUSSION

The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the five-factor construct. Reliability was verified, but some issues remained in convergent and discriminant validity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This scale can be used to objectively assess nurses' recovery orientation in dementia care and as a measure of training in recovery-oriented approaches.

Change in the psychological self in people living with dementia: A scoping review

Alterations in one's sense of self are often considered a significant psychological symptom of dementia. However, the self is not a unified construct; it consists of a set of closely connected, yet substantive, manifestations which might not be equally impacted by dementia. Recognising the multidimensional nature of the self, the current scoping review aimed to explore the nature and scope of the evidence demonstrating change in the psychological self in people living with dementia. Adopting a cognitive psychological framework, a hundred and five (105) quantitative and qualitative studies were reviewed, and findings were organised into three main types of self-manifestations: high-order manifestations, functional aspects of the self, and foundational manifestations. Overall, the results show that although there are alterations in some of these different manifestations of the self, these do not imply a global loss of selfhood. Despite notable cognitive changes during dementia, it seems that preserved aspects of self may be enough to compensate for potential weakening of some self-processes such as autobiographical recall. Better understanding alterations in selfhood is key to addressing psychological symptoms of people living with dementia, such as feelings of disconnection and reduced agency, and may inform new pathways for dementia care interventions.

"It's You": Caregiver and Clinician Perspectives on Lucidity in People Living With Dementia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Episodes of lucidity (ELs), or a transient return of abilities believed to be lost in people living with dementia, are a growing area of interest. These events hold important implications for care, caregiving, and our understanding of underlying etiologies. Research on ELs is largely limited to retrospective reports. The perspectives of professional and family caregivers on ELs and research approaches can inform efforts to define and study lucidity. The present study examined family caregiver and hospice clinician experiences with and perspectives on ELs in people living with dementia and observational approaches to studying these events.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This exploratory, descriptive qualitative study employed semistructured interviews (N = 20 caregivers, N = 6 clinicians). Data were analyzed using Rapid Identification of Themes and subsequent duplicate review of interview data to enhance trustworthiness.

RESULTS

Most participants readily recalled events they perceived as ELs, describing a transient return of abilities they felt was significant and/or meaningful. Defining features, interpretations, and the perceived impact of ELs varied, although ELs were commonly conceptualized as a manifestation of self. Caregivers described extensive efforts to detect patterns and supportive social conditions for ELs. Participants supported use of audiovisual observation to study ELs and provided recommendations for privacy, workflow, and caregiver engagement.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Interpretations of ELs are heterogeneous, and recognition of these events may necessitate close familiarity with the person living with dementia. Participants endorse observational approaches and integration of caregivers in this research.

Association of Vitamin B Status with Risk of Dementia in Cohort Studies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between B vitamins status and the risk of dementia in older adults through a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Older adults aged ≥60 years from community, nursing home, institution, or hospital.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials, WHO-ICTRP, NHS Trusts, and ACTR were searched from the date of their inception up to November 28, 2021. We included cohort studies that assessed the association between serum B vitamins or B vitamins intake and the risk of dementia among older adults aged ≥60 years. The quality of all studies was assessed by the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated by the random effects model. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to rate the certainty of evidence.

RESULTS

Eleven cohort studies with sample sizes ranging from 233 to 3634 were included in the meta-analysis. Levels of serum folate showed statistically significant association with the risk of dementia (≥10 nmol/L: HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.01-2.46, low certainty; <10 nmol/L: HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.99, very low certainty). However, levels of vitamin B₆ intake showed no statistically significant effects on risk of dementia; levels of serum vitamin B₁₂ and vitamin B₁₂ intake also showed no statistically significant effects on risk of dementia in older adults.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The results from our meta-analysis suggest that vitamin B₆, B₁₂, and folate may not be modifiable risk factors for dementia among older adults. Current evidence on the relationship between vitamin B status and dementia is not sufficient for development of vitamin B recommendations. More high-quality cohort studies are needed to confirm the relationship between the two in the future.

Concordance of self- and informant-rated depressive symptoms in nursing home residents with Dementia: cross-sectional findings

BACKGROUND

Depression is highly prevalent in nursing home residents living with moderate to severe dementia. However, assessing depressive symptoms in residents with dementia can be challenging and may vary by rater perspective. We aimed to investigate the concordance of, and factors associated with self- and informant-rated depressive symptoms in nursing home residents with dementia.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data was collected from N = 162 nursing home residents with dementia (age: 53-100; 74% women). Self-ratings were assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale, while the depression and anxiety items of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory were used for informant-ratings. Cohen's Kappa was calculated to determine the concordance of both measures and of each with antidepressant medication. Multivariate associations with sociodemographic variables, self- and informant-rated quality of life, dementia stage, neuropsychiatric symptoms, functional status and antidepressant medication were analysed with linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

Concordance between self- and single item informant-rated depressive symptoms was minimal (Cohen's Kappa = .22, p = .02). No concordance was found for self-reported depressive symptoms and the combined informant-rated depression-anxiety score. Self-reported depression was negatively associated with self-rated quality of life (β = -.32; 95%CI: -.45 to -.19, p < .001), informant-rated quality of life (β = -.25; 95%CI: -.43 to -.07, p = .005) and functional status (β = -.16; 95%CI: -.32 to -.01, p = .04), whilst single item informant-rated depression revealed negative associations with informant-rated quality of life (β = -.32; 95%CI: -.52 to -.13, p = .001) and dementia stage (β = -.31; 95%CI: -.52 to -.10, p = .004). The combined informant-rated depression-anxiety score showed negative associations with self-rated quality of life (β = -.12; 95%CI: -.22 to -.03, p = .01) and dementia stage (β = -.37; 95%CI: -.67 to -.07, p = .02) and a positive association with neuropsychiatric symptoms (β = .30; 95%CI: .10 to .51, p = .004). No concordance was found with antidepressant medication.

CONCLUSIONS

In line with our expectations, low agreement and unique association patterns were found for both measures. These findings indicate that both instruments address different aspects of depression und underline the need for comprehensive approaches when it comes to detecting signs of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in dementia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered with the ISRCTN registry (Trial registration number: ISRCTN98947160 ).

Physician-Assisted Suicide in Dementia: Paradoxes, Pitfalls and the Need for Prudence

There has been an increasing drive towards the legalization of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in patients with dementia, particularly in patients with advanced disease and severe cognitive impairment. Advocacy for this position is often based on utilitarian philosophical principles, on appeals to the quality of life of the patient and their caregiver(s), or on economic constraints faced by caregivers as well as healthcare systems. In this paper, two lines of evidence against this position are presented. First, data on attitudes towards euthanasia for twenty-eight countries, obtained from the World Values Survey, is analyzed. An examination of this data shows that, paradoxically, positive attitudes towards this procedure are found in more economically advanced countries, and are strongly associated with specific cultural factors. Second, the literature on existing attitudes towards PAS in cases of dementia, along with ethical arguments for and against the practice, is reviewed and specific hazards for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals are identified. On the basis of these findings, the author suggests that the practice of PAS in dementia is not one that can be widely or safely endorsed, on both cultural and ethical grounds. Instead, the medical field should work in collaboration with governmental, social welfare and patient advocacy services to ensure optimal physical, emotional and financial support to this group of patients and their caregivers.