title: A patient's experience in dementia care: Using the "lived experience" to improve care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To give FPs an understanding of the "lived experience" of dementia via the words of a person with dementia (PWD)- Faye Forbes, a 64-year-old Anglican priest with Alzheimer disease who provides her perspectives on living with dementia-and to use these thoughts to improve care and outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovid MEDLINE was searched from January 2005 to February 2015 using subject headings for dementia, caregiver, perspectives, and quality of health care. Articles geared toward FPs were selected. Relevant review articles and original research articles were used when appropriate and if they were applicable to PWDs and their caregivers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are several frameworks that organize the main experiences described by patients and caregivers. We used a review of the qualitative literature to provide the framework to summarize Faye's experience under the following headings: seeking a diagnosis, accessing supports and services, information needs, disease management, and communication and attitudes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physicians should consider these themes when developing a management plan for PWDs. Trying to understand the experiences and perspectives of PWDs and their caregivers is important in providing optimal care.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont, and Clinical Lead of Specialized Geriatrics at Providence Care. frankc@providencecare.ca.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Associate Priest at St Francis by the Lakes Anglican Church in Lower Sackville, NS.
authors.forename: Rev Faye
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Forbes
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000592:standards*