Redefining Dementia Person-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Culture Change

Co-Investigators: Anne R. Bower and William Senders
Period: March 2003 - August 2005
Funded by: Alzheimer's Assocation, New York City Chapter

Related project: Sustainable Culture Change for Persons with Dementia in the Nursing Home: An Ethnographic Study of a Relationship Strengthened by Staff Training and Peer Support

Abstract: Redefining Dementia Person-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Culture Change is a new handbook that outlines the concepts and procedures for developing a person-centered, group recreation program for nursing home residents with Alzheimer's disease and their staff caregivers. In clear, jargon-free language, the important concepts and themes of program development are identified and discussed and each phase of program development addressed. Chapter titles include Defining Our Terms, Developing a Person-Centered Group Program in a Facility, Developing a Core Team, Designing a Person-Centered Group Program, Training the Core Team and Some Advice About Starting a Person-Centered Group Program in a Nursing Home.

Grounded in person-centered, relationship-based culture change values, this handbook is intended to give users a new perspective on what dementia care can be for both residents and staff and assistance in achieving that kind of care. It was written with recreation, social services, pastoral care, nursing supervision and facility administrators in mind, but it will be useful for anyone who wants to offer better care to nursing home residents with dementia.

The handbook is based in real-world experience. The concepts, principles and procedures for developing a person-centered dementia group program described in it are drawn from twenty years of experience working with residents and staff in New York City nursing homes. The handbook also incorporates findings from several research grants supported by the New York State Department of Health Dementia Grants Program that demonstrate program benefits for both residents and staff.