Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Dementia Care
• Social Inclusion Studies

Background:

• Engagement is crucial for social inclusion and quality of life in people with dementia.
• Existing literature presents diverse definitions and interventions for engagement.
• This review consolidates understanding by identifying engagement constructs and assessment measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze existing measures for assessing engagement in people living with dementia.
• To consolidate current understanding of engagement constructs and their applications.

Main Methods:

• A systematized search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Medline.
• Included original articles detailing engagement measures for people with dementia.
• Three reviewers independently evaluated titles, abstracts, and full texts, identifying 21 studies/measures.

Main Results:

• Diverse terminology for engagement was observed.
• Nineteen of 21 measures were observational, focusing on behavioral indicators (e.g., emotion, verbal interaction, body movements).
• Engagement exists on a spectrum from active to passive; studies were mostly in institutional settings and assessed various activities.

Conclusions:

• Conceptualizing and assessing engagement in dementia is complex.
• Most measures are activity-specific and focus on observable behaviors, necessitating more generalizable tools.
• Environmental factors impacting engagement opportunities, especially social engagement in long-term care, require further attention.