Effects of Dementia Care Mapping on well‐being and quality of life of older people with intellectual disability: A quasi‐experimental study

Abstract

BackgroundThe ageing of people with intellectual disability, accompanied with consequences like dementia, challenges intellectual disability‐care staff and creates a need for supporting methods, with Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) as a promising possibility. This study examined the effect of DCM on the quality of life of older people with intellectual disability.MethodsWe performed a quasi‐experimental study in 23 group homes for older people with intellectual disability in the Netherlands, comparing DCM (n = 113) with care‐as‐usual (CAU; n = 111). Using three measures, we assessed the staff‐reported quality of life of older people with intellectual disability.ResultsDCM achieved no significantly better or worse quality of life than CAU. Effect sizes varied from 0.01 to −0.22. Adjustments for covariates and restriction of analyses to people with dementia yielded similar results.ConclusionThe finding that DCM does not increase quality of life of older people with intellectual disability contradicts previous findings and deserves further study.

Use of dementia care mapping in the care for older people with intellectual disabilities: A mixed‐method study

“…Although we found that staff valued DCM in daily care practices and that indications that it might improve job performance and quality of (person-centred) care for older people with intellectual disabilities, previous research has found no evidence on the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities nor on job satisfaction of care staff (Schaap et al, 2019a(Schaap et al, , 2019b. The effectiveness of DCM should thus be assessed in a study aimed at outcomes in the direct care process, such as job performance, quality of (person-centred) care…”

“…Person‐centred care can yield more effective interactions between clients and care professionals (Brownie & Nancarrow, 2013; Tay et al., 2018; Van der Meer et al., 2017), and better collaboration of staff in coordination of care (Edvardsson et al., 2008; Rathert, Wyrwich, & Boren, 2013). In ID‐care, however, person‐centred methods, usually derived directly from regular dementia care, are often used in an unsystematic way (Fokkens, IJsbrandij, & Jansen, 2016; Schaap, Finnema, Stewart, Dijkstra, & Reijneveld, 2019a), even though previous research has strongly indicated that they should be customized to be successful (Hodes, Meppelder, Schuengel, & Kef, 2014; Vlaskamp, Hiemstra, & Wiersma, 2007).…”

“…Quantitative findings on the effects of DCM in ID‐care are, however, conflicting. On the one hand, studies did not show positive effects of DCM, neither on the quality of life of older people with intellectual disabilities (Schaap et al., 2019a) nor on the job satisfaction of ID‐care staff (Schaap, Finnema, Stewart, Dijkstra, & Reijneveld, 2019b). On the other hand, staff reported that DCM provided adequate psychosocial methods and approaches to care for older people with intellectual disabilities (Schaap, Dijkstra, et al, 2018; Schaap, Fokkens, et al, 2018).…”

Dementia education and training for caregivers supporting older people with intellectual disability: a scoping review of the literature

“…The principles of person-centred care are well established within intellectual disability practices (Hakobyan et al , 2020; Mansell and Beadle‐Brown, 2004; Smith and Carey, 2013). Key to improving dementia care practice is incorporating person-centred approaches within education programmes (McGinley and Knoke, 2018; Schaap et al , 2019).…”

De Grote Methodiekengids: definitie • inventarisatie • praktische toepasbaarheid • wetenschappelijke onderbouwing van begeleidingsmethodieken voor mensen met een verstandelijke beperking

“…DCM bleek geen effect te hebben op de kwaliteit van leven van mensen met VB (Schaap, 2019;Schaap et al, 2019b). De methodiek bleek evenmin effect te hebben op de arbeidstevredenheid en het gevoel van competentie van begeleiders (Schaap, 2019;Schaap et al, 2019a).…”