title: Continuity of home-based care for persons with dementia from formal and family caregivers' perspective.
abstract: Western health care policy emphasizes continuity of care for people with dementia. This paper presents formal and family caregivers' descriptions of collaboration in home-based dementia care and explores whether this collaboration inhibits or enables continuity of care and the use of the statutory individual plan. Empirical data were derived from 18 in-depth interviews with formal and family caregivers and brief fieldwork. The results reveal dynamic positions in collaborative practice and, from these positions, discrepancies in descriptions of practices and the needs of the person with dementia. Such micro-level discrepancies may serve as barriers for macro-level continuity of care objectives. To ensure continuity of care, formal and family caregivers must be aware of their positions and discuss specific expectations for information flow, involvement and care responsibilities. Individual plan can serve as a starting point for such discussions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Care Sciences and Centre for Care Research North, University of Tromso - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway.
authors.forename: Lill Sverresdatter
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Care Sciences, University of Tromso - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway.
authors.forename: Hans Ketil
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Normann
authors.affiliation: Centre for Care Research, University of Tromso - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway; Department of Health and Care Sciences, University of Tromso - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway.
authors.forename: Torunn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamran
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic
keywords: continuity of care; dementia; formal and family caregivers; home-based care; individual plan