Person-centredness in dementia care: an integrative review of theoretical approaches.

OBJECTIVES: This review identifies and examines theoretical approaches (components and objectives) to person-centred dementia care in order to obtain a better understanding of what is meant by the concept of person-centred dementia care. DESIGN: Following the approach of Whittemore and Knafl, an integrative literature review was conducted to answer the following questions: (1) Which theoretical approaches to person-centred dementia care have been published? (2) What are the components of the theoretical approaches to person-centred dementia care thus identified, and which objectives can be identified? DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL (via EBSCO) and PsycINFO (via EBSCO) were searched through to 26 April 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included any kind of published literature that describes theoretical approaches to person-centred dementia care and that was written in German or English. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two independent reviewers extracted data. Data were pooled using a data extraction form developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The analysis revealed heterogeneous perspectives within the identified approaches to person-centred dementia care. Statements pertaining to the components and objectives could be assigned to three different subcategories (microlevel, macrolevel and application level). This analysis enabled an enhanced understanding of how person-centred dementia care is currently described and whether and how the theoretical approaches differ in terms of their orientations and their focus on the individual and/or on sociality, which allows conclusions regarding the underlying conceptual idea of personhood. CONCLUSIONS: There is a clear challenge for future research to overcome the dominance of the focus on the individual and to consider aspects of sociality to be at least equally important. This is needed in order to understand dementia as a multifaceted phenomenon that demands a differentiated consideration of theoretical notions of how to understand personhood in this context.

Autonomy and its relevance for the construction of personhood in dementia- a thematic synthesis.

BACKGROUND: This article examines the concept of autonomy in the context of person-centred dementia research and care, which is frequently being used but not clearly defined. Also, there is no clear conceptual relation between autonomy and personhood in this context. METHODS: Therefore, literature on person-centred dementia research and care was examined to answer the following question: How is the concept of autonomy discussed in person-centred dementia research and care literature? RESULTS: This analysis revealed heterogeneous perspectives on autonomy within the context of dementia. These were assigned to two different perspectives on personhood: one that links personhood to the existing cognitive abilities and the other one, that understands personhood relationally as the result of a socially constructed process. These results are discussed with regard to a nursing and care practice that could be considered as being deficit-oriented, but also with regard to the concept of social health in dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Derived from this analysis, there is a clear need for general conceptual sensitivity in this field. Also, an in-depth examination of the social constructionist approach to personhood in the context of dementia is warranted.

Person-centredness in dementia care: study protocol for an integrative review of theoretical approaches.

INTRODUCTION: The concept of personhood is particularly important in person-centred dementia care because its overall aim is to maintain the personhood of people living with dementia despite disease progression. In a previous review on autonomy for people with dementia, two different underlying concepts of personhood were identified: a rationalistic and a social constructionist concept of personhood. The present integrative review aims to (1) identify existing theoretical approaches in person-centred dementia care, (2) describe the constitutive components for these theoretical approaches, (3) report the goals and/or outcomes to be achieved by person-centred care for people living with dementia and (4) identify the underlying concepts of personhood. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: For our integrative review the search terms were derived from the research questions and clustered according to the 'PICo' (Population, Interest, Context) framework. A systematic literature search for theoretical approaches of 'person-centred dementia care' will be performed on MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL (via EBSCO) and PsycINFO (via EBSCO). The title/abstract and full-text screening will be performed independently by two researchers according to the inclusion criteria. The data analysis procedure will have two steps: (1) identification and extraction of general information (e.g., type of publication and name of theoretical approaches described) and (2) a qualitative content analysis to analyse the components, goals, outcomes and understanding of the respective underlying conceptions of personhood within the theoretical approaches. The extraction of general information (e.g., authors) will be performed by one researcher and qualitative content analysis will be performed independently by two researchers using MAXQDA software. Any disagreements will be resolved through discussion between the two researchers or, if no consensus can be reached, with all coauthors. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Due to the nature of a review, ethical approval is not required. We will disseminate our results in peer-reviewed journals and at (inter)national conferences.