Improving emotional well-being for hospital-based patients with dementia

Improving emotional well-being for hospital-based patients with dementia Stephanie Petty, Amanda Griffiths, Donna Maria Coleston, Tom Dening Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.- Improving hospital care for people with dementia is a well-established priority. There is limited research evidence to guide nursing staff in delivering person-centred care, particularly under conditions where patients are emotionally distressed. Misunderstood distress has negative implications for patient well-being and hospital resources. The purpose of this study is to use the expertise of nurses to recommend ways to care for the emotional well-being of patients with dementia that are achievable within the current hospital setting. A qualitative study was conducted in two long-stay wards providing dementia care in a UK hospital. Nursing staff (n = 12) were asked about facilitators and barriers to providing emotion-focused care. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Nursing staff said that resources existed within the ward team, including ways to gather and present personal information about patients, share multidisciplinary and personal approaches, work around routine hospital tasks and agree an ethos of being connected with patients in their experience. Staff said these did not incur financial cost and did not depend upon staffing numbers but did take an emotional toll. Examples are given within each of these ...
Source: Quality in Ageing and Older Adults - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: research