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Creating relationships with persons with moderate to severe dementia
Iréne Ericsson1, Sofia Kjellström, Ingrid Hellström
1Jönköping University, Sweden.
Dementia (London, England)
|December 17, 2013
Summary
Creating relationships with individuals experiencing dementia is possible through specific caregiver strategies. Relational Time (RT) sessions facilitate connection by establishing trust and equality, enhancing well-being.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Interpersonal relationships are crucial for the well-being of individuals with dementia.
- Existing methods for relationship building may require significant resources or be less effective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the process of creating relationships with persons experiencing moderate to severe dementia.
- To identify key strategies and contributing factors in relationship development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Constructivist Grounded Theory.
- Analyzed 24 video sequences of Relational Time (RT) sessions.
- Conducted 24 interviews with persons with dementia and 8 with professional caregivers.
Main Results:
- Identified core strategies: 'Assigning time,' 'Establishing security and trust,' and 'Communicating equality.'
- The central process identified was 'Opening up,' enabling relationship creation.
- Relationship building requires mutual contribution, with caregivers initiating and persons with dementia accepting and engaging.
Conclusions:
- Relational Time (RT) offers a low-resource approach to foster interpersonal connections.
- Facilitating relationship creation enhances the quality of life for persons with dementia.
- Caregiver-initiated strategies, met with openness from the person with dementia, are key to successful relationship building.
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