title: Patient participation in special care units for persons with dementia: A losing principle?
abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the experience of nursing personnel with respect to patient participation in special care units for persons with dementia in nursing homes, with focus on everyday life. The study has an explorative grounded theory design. Eleven nursing personnel were interviewed twice. Patient participation is regarded as being grounded in the idea that being master of one's own life is essential to the dignity and self-esteem of all people. Patient participation was described at different levels as letting the resident make their own decisions, adjusting the choices, making decisions on behalf of the residents and forcing the residents. The educational level and commitment of the nursing personnel and how often they were on duty impacted the level that each person applied, as did the ability of the residents to make decisions, and organizational conditions, such as care culture, leadership and number of personnel.
authors.affiliation: Karlstad University, Sweden; Østfold University College, Norway.
authors.forename: Ann Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Helgesen
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Elsy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Athlin
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000941:ethics*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D028723:Personhood; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: Dementia; grounded theory; patient participation; personnel; special care units