During times of stress and uncertainty, research has documented that individuals may turn to religion and spirituality as coping resources. But what about those with dementia who have a decreased cognitive capacity? Do they also turn to religion and spirituality and are these coping resources related to overall quality of life? The objective of this study was to describe the spiritual experiences of persons with early-stage dementia and to explore the relationship between personal spirituality and perceived quality of life. Twenty-three participants were interviewed using: a semistructured interview guide; the System of Belief Inventory (SBI); and the Quality of Life Index (QLI). Qualitative data analysis illuminated an overall theme of 'faith in God' and six related categories: beliefs; support from God; sense of meaning/purpose in life; private practice; public practice; and changes due to dementing illness. There were significant relationships between the SBI scores and the QLI scores. Findings suggest that those with early-stage dementia often find personal spirituality and its internal meanings important in coping with their life situations, that is, spirituality is associated with their perceived quality of life.

The purposes of this study were to explore the self-rated and objectively measured quality of life of people with early-stage dementia and to describe their personal experiences and reactions to the negative public view of dementia. Information was collected from 23 participants who lived in a mid-western United States metropolitan area. Self-ratings were collected by semi-structured and structured interviews, and the objective measures were the Quality of Life Index (QLI) and the Single Item Quality of Life Scale (SIQLS). It was found that 21 of the participants perceived their current QOL as ‘good’ or better, and that the mean scores for the QLI and the SIQLS were 22.8 and 7.3 respectively. Triangulation of the subjective and objective data established their congruence. The QLI scores suggested that people with early-stage dementia often perceived their current life as good and that the participants were as satisfied with their life as the general population. Their accounts also revealed that many had experienced stigma and that this appreciably affected their psychosocial wellbeing. The findings of this study provide new insights into the ways in which health-care professionals and the general public can and should view and treat people with dementia.

Abstracte purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to the attitudes of nurses attending terminally ill patients. A self-report questionnaire was administered to nurses with three or more years of clinical experience employed at medical institutions providing cancer care in the Kanto region. Answers were obtained from 697 nurses, and 586 response rate 50.3% excluding invalid answers were analyzed to examine the relationships between the attitudes of nurses as measured using the Frommelt s Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale and personal attributes, characteristics of the nurse in terminal care, and characteristics of environment around the nurse. Analysis of the data revealed that there were signi cant relationships between the attitudes of nurses and both age and clinical experience, as well as with characteristics of environment around the nurse in terms of the strength of the nursing organization as a team, the sharing of opinions with physicians, the condition of care given at the facility to support terminally ill patients and families, and the attendance and involvement of nurses in the process of informed consent. ese results suggest the importance of the environment around nurses, including organizational approaches, in promoting positive attitudes of nurses.

In this paper the authors discuss the use of Parse's humanbecoming theory in Japan. Elements of the theory are used in the nursing approach to an 88 year-old Japanese man who had complications following surgery. Process recordings of the dialogues between the patient, the patient's wife, and the nurse were made and considered in light of the three methodologies of Parse's theory; illuminating meaning, synchronizing rhythms, and mobilizing transcendence. The theory is seen as useful in Japan.

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