How patients with dementia spend their time in a psycho-geriatric unit

This paper presents the findings of a work sampling study conducted at an assessment unit for patients with dementia at a university hospital in Northern Sweden. The aim of the study was to describe the activity of the demented patients' day at a psycho-geriatric unit, and to investigate the correlation between the patients' characteristics and time provided by nursing staff, in order to increase our knowledge of institutionalized demented patients situation. The sample consisted of 24 patients with dementia. The activities of patients were monitored at 10-min interval between 7.00 a.m. and 9.10 p.m. In total, 2024 activities were recorded. The findings showed that being demented and placed in a psycho-geriatric unit is a life in solitude for most of the time. The variation in time patients spent in solitude could partly be explained by their communication abilities. For patients with dementia, communion is essential for their well-being. In order to develop their well-being, it seems important to enhance our knowledge about the reasons, that influence the nursing staffs' perceptions of patients with dementia, to decrease their time in solitude.