P24: DemenTitude® - Applying the Model of “LAN” to Understand the Experience of People with Dementia

Abstract

Understanding the self-perception of people with dementia and their interaction with the surrounding others is highly vital to exploring the unmet needs of people with dementia. In preserving the personhood through the person-centred care approach, the synchronization with the experience of the person with dementia and listening to his/her voice of interpreting the surrounding things should be promoted. What is the meaning of the dialogues and the behavior of people with dementia? How can the “LAN” be applied to guide the care providers and the care partners in maintaining a good quality of care? In-depth interviews and participatory observations were conducted during interviews in the community care and residential care homes of Hong Kong. Following the theoretical framework blending interpretivism and the sociocultural perspective on dementia, the finding was not only being used for getting more familiar with the experience of people with dementia but also designing the content of educational programme to the care providers and the care partners in Hong Kong.

“LAN” model stands for “L-listening to the experience and voice of people with dementia; A-assess the condition of people with dementia through person-centred care approach; N-Needs of people with dementia to preserve personhood”. As the care providers and the care partners are trying to synchronize the experience of people with dementia, the subjective views and feeling of people with dementia formed by their interpretation will be the key to respond their unmet needs. A particular educational programme was designed for the care providers and care partners. Focusing on the synchronization of the experience of people with dementia with LAN model, the participants got reflection and insights on this idea, which is similar to the “LAN” cable technology. The care providers and care partners found that just like a LAN cable to “plugin” from one device to another device so that the information could be synchronized. In satisfying the needs of people with dementia, the participant should learn from the lens and interpretation of people with dementia. A proper caring attitude with this “LAN” model, called as DemenTitude®, was introduced. The evaluation of the educational training showed a significant improvement in the positive perception of dementia among the participants.