Dementia care. How nurses rate

The aim of this qualitative research was to invite home carers to share their perceptions of the quality of nursing care they witnessed their relative with dementia receive, when he or she was admitted to an acute care setting for an acute illness episode or other health related concern. Twenty participants were recruited through the local Alzheimer's Support Groups and newspapers. Biographical data were collected relating to the carer's and relative's age, gender, nature of relationship, date of Alzheimer's diagnosis, period of domiciliary care, and existing psychosocial and economic support systems. Each carer was interviewed for about one hour, to allow sufficient time for recollection of memories of hospitalisations within the previous 12 months. The semistructured interviews were audiotaped for verbatim transcription. Computer-assisted thematic analysis identified themes and sub-themes regarding aspects of nursing care that home carers witnessed with which they were pleased and not pleased. Based on the home carers' accounts recommendations were made for nurses relating to improving the care of people with dementia in acute care settings.