Well-being and person-centred care of people with dementia cared for in institutional settings in South Africa

Abstract

In a developing country such as South Africa, where needs surpass resources, elderly persons living in institutional care due to dementia are generally viewed as well-cared for if their basic needs for security, food and personal hygiene are met. Due to the disabling effect of the condition, residents are often unable to engage independently in occupations that they find meaningful, requiring staff support to enable them to do this. In South Africa staff training on dementia and person-centred care (PCC) is limited, which in turn impacts on how staff interact with residents. This often results in persons with dementia being deprived of opportunities for engagement and occupation that have the potential to bring about well-being. The first author conducted an initial pilot feasibility study to assess Dementia Care Mapping (DCM), a method used internationally to help improve the quality of formal dementia care, at three identified residential care facilities in South Africa. DCM is an observational tool that involves observing care from the perspective of the person with dementia. This paper examines whether DCM could be used as a means to develop quality dementia care in formalcare settings in South Africa despite a lack of human and financial resources.