Helping Individuals With Dementia Live More Fully Through Person-Centered Practices

Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, is a health condition saddled with social stigmas and is widely misunderstood. Person-centered care practices can positively improve the psychosocial experience of living with dementia and have become the gold standard for care because of the resulting beneficial outcomes. The purpose of the current article is to describe four person-centered principles that form the foundation for dementia care practice: (a) the idea that individuals can and do live fully with dementia; (b) quality of life depends not only on the care received but also on the value that others put on their abilities and life; (c) being meaningfully engaged and having purpose are vital to well-being; and (d) respect, dignity, and choice are not only foundational to person-centered care but for basic human rights. Although efforts have been made to mandate person-centered practices, challenges remain that can direct future research and practice efforts. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 41(11), 9-14.].