Maintaining ordinariness in dementia care

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology of Health and Illness
• Dementia Care Studies

Background:

• Dementia care often struggles to balance medical needs with maintaining residents' social identity and dignity.
• Ethnomethodological and pragmatist theories offer frameworks for understanding social ordinariness and agency.
• Care home environments present unique challenges for preserving residents' sense of self.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how professional practices in a Norwegian care home facilitate social ordinariness for residents with dementia.
• To investigate the role of co-operation between care staff and residents in producing and maintaining ordinariness.
• To examine how everyday activities contribute to residents' identity maintenance and dignity.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research design utilizing ethnographic fieldwork in a Norwegian care home.
• Data collection through in-depth interviews with care staff and residents.
• Systematic observation of daily practices and interactions within the care setting.

Main Results:

• A social and moral norm of ordinariness is central to professional care work in dementia care.
• Involving residents in familiar, everyday activities is key to maintaining their sense of identity and ordinariness.
• Situational rules and practices were employed to avoid stigmatizing behaviors and preserve resident dignity.

Conclusions:

• Professional care practices significantly influence the production of social ordinariness for individuals with dementia.
• Maintaining ordinariness through recognized activities is an essential component of dignified and identity-affirming care.
• The study highlights the importance of social agency and inclusion in dementia care settings.