title: Dignity and care for people with dementia living in nursing homes.
abstract: This article presents and discusses findings from a qualitative study on how the dignity of patients with dementia is preserved or harmed when they live in a nursing home. The results build on participant observation in two nursing home wards, combined with qualitative interviews with seven relatives of patients with dementia. The most important issue for relatives was that their family member with dementia was confirmed as a relational human being. However, relatives experienced lack of resources and task-centred care as threats to confirming, relational care and to patients' dignity. Findings from participant observations confirmed this. In this article, we argue that care which focuses on the residents' personhood, combined with a relational focus, is of great importance in maintaining the dignity of people with dementia living in nursing homes.
authors.affiliation: Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway anne-kari-tolo.heggestad@hioa.no.
authors.forename: Anne Kari Tolo
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Heggestad
authors.affiliation: University of Oslo and Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nortvedt
authors.affiliation: University of Agder and Oslos and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway.
authors.forename: Åshild
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Slettebø
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009735:Nursing Homes; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D028723:Personhood; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: dementia; dignity; nursing home; person-centred care; relationship-centred care