Public preferences for home care services for people with dementia: A discrete choice experiment on personhood

Publication date: Available online 13 November 2019Source: Social Science & MedicineAuthor(s): Sharon Walsh, Edel Doherty, Brendan Kennelly, Tom Pierse, Fiona Keogh, Eamon O'SheaAbstractDementia is a progressive and debilitating neurodegenerative condition which significantly impacts on quality of life and the ability to live independently. It is a leading cause of disability in older populations and carries significant economic and social costs. It is no wonder, therefore, that dementia has been identified as a major global health and social care challenge, especially with prevalence projected to triple by 2050. In many countries, the stated policy aim is to care for people with dementia in their own homes for as long as possible and practicable. However, home care systems vary significantly across countries in their approach to personhood in dementia, particularly the extent to which care provision reflects the needs and preferences of recipients. In this paper, we undertook a discrete choice experiment, with data collected from 551 individuals in Ireland between November and December 2018, to elicit public preferences for personhood-oriented home care services for people with moderate dementia. We capture the concept of personhood with two attributes, one that refers to whether care provision is flexible and tailored to the individual needs of the person with dementia, and a second that refers to whether communication with the person with dementia is expressed in a persona...
Source: Social Science and Medicine - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research