title: Dignity and autonomy in the care for patients with dementia: Differences among formal caretakers of varied cultural backgrounds and their meaning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A key message in the World Health Organization report on dementia (2012) emphasizes this disease as a top priority in public health and the need to improve professional attitudes to patients with dementia, while acknowledging that the workforce in dementia care is becoming increasingly diverse culturally.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To trace whether there are substantial gaps between formal caretakers from different cultural groups (Israeli born Jews [Sabras], Israeli Arabs [Arabs] and migrants from Russia [Russians]) regarding their stances on the human dignity and autonomy of patients with dementia, as well as understand the meaning of these gaps.
  
  
  METHODS
  quantitative analysis utilizing questionnaires that were filled-out by approximately 200 caretakers from the different cultural groups, working in a nursing home or a hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In nursing homes, substantial differences were found in the attitudes to human dignity and autonomy of patients with dementia between Russian and Arab as well as Sabra caretakers. In the hospital, there was no influence for the ethno-culture variable on dignity or autonomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to past research, in nursing homes, significant differences were found between certain ethno-cultural groups (Arabs and Russians) regarding their stance towards the dignity of patients with dementia. Arab caretakers hold a conception of dignity and autonomy that resonates strongly with person-centered care and outweighs institutional settings as well as may be related to the fostering of virtues.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan Unversity, Israel. Electronic address: Miriam.Bentwich@biu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Miriam Ethel
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bentwich
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan Unversity, Israel. Electronic address: nomyd@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Nomy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dickman
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan Unversity, Israel; Department of Geriatric Rehabilitation, Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Israel. Electronic address: AOberman@poria.health.gov.il.
authors.forename: Amitai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oberman
mesh_terms: D018912:Arabs; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003469:Culture; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007585:Jews; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D028723:Personhood; D012426:Russia
keywords: Autonomy; Formal caretakers; Human dignity; Multicultural perceptions; Patients with dementia; Quantitative research