Evaluation of Person-Centredness in Rehabilitation for People Living with Dementia Is Needed: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background. With an expected increase in the prevalence of dementia, change in care policies and healthcare systems worldwide is needed. Rehabilitation is increasingly recognised as contributing to dementia care. Rehabilitation subscribes to person-centredness, and thus, evaluations of person-centredness in rehabilitation for people living with dementia are relevant in order for healthcare professionals to know how best to practice person-centredness. Aim. The aim of this study was to identify methods of evaluating person-centeredness in rehabilitation for people living with dementia. Materials and Methods. Review of the literature using the search terms dementia, person-centredness, and rehabilitation or occupational therapy. Databases searched included: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, OTseeker, and SveMed+. The study included peer-reviewed articles from year 2000 to 2018 in Danish, English, Norwegian, or Swedish. Results. Only one academic article met the inclusion criteria. In that article, person-centred practice was evaluated using observation and interview as well as analytical frameworks from person-centred care and occupational therapy. Conclusion. Evaluations of person-centred practice in rehabilitation for people living with dementia in peer-reviewed literature are lacking. Evaluations are needed to identify effective strategies to pursue and uphold person-centred care. Given the dearth of research on evaluations of person-centredness in rehabilitation, this article included research in person-centred dementia care in the discussion, which potentially can inspire practice and research of rehabilitation for people living with dementia. To understand the complex nature of person-centredness, a variety of research methodologies of qualitative and quantitative characters are recommended for evaluations.

Physiotherapists’ and occupational therapists’ perspectives on information and communication technology in stroke rehabilitation

“…They perceived ICT integration as important in the early stroke screening, as many urgently need to be able to handle at least their mobile phone again in order to resume previous tasks, feel a sense of security and independence, and to compensate for remaining deficits. These results are in line with previous studies showing that stroke survivors, significant others and health professionals are interested in integrating ICT solutions in the rehabilitation process [4,16,23,28,29,47] because they can support stroke survivors' opportunities to engage in social activities [4,29,48], to give stroke survivors and significant others a greater feeling of independence [4,22,29], and, not least, to improve their quality of life [10,11].…”

“…individualized and tailored to respond to the individual's needs and with the recognition of significant others as crucial actors in the rehabilitation process [9,10]. A person-centred approach to the rehabilitation process has also been shown to promote both stroke survivors' and significant others' active involvement in their treatment and care, thus increasing their empowerment and autonomy [9][10][11][12] and reducing rehabilitation costs [7]. Furthermore, specialized rehabilitation programs including physiotherapy and occupational therapy have been shown to be effective in rehabilitation of declined functioning [13].…”

“…Furthermore, it is recommended that stroke rehabilitation should be person-centred, i.e. individualized and tailored to respond to the individual’s needs and with the recognition of significant others as crucial actors in the rehabilitation process [ 9 , 10 ]. A person-centred approach to the rehabilitation process has also been shown to promote both stroke survivors’ and significant others’ active involvement in their treatment and care, thus increasing their empowerment and autonomy [ 9 – 12 ] and reducing rehabilitation costs [ 7 ].…”

Use of Information and Communication Technology by South Korean Occupational Therapists Working in Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Of the total respondents, 57% (n = 90) reported that they were familiar with ICT, but only 31% (n = 49) used it therapeutically. Integrating ICT into the rehabilitation process can support clients' social participation [28,29] and contribute to improving their quality of life [30,31]. Healthcare professionals play a key role in providing appropriate ICT solutions to clients and caregivers [24,32].…”

Towards person-centred rehabilitation in dementia – a narrative synthesis

“…Including studies which directly addressed person-centred rehabilitation in dementia might have produced a more comprehensive synthesis. However, a recent study by Christensen et al has shown that, so far, no studies have evaluated person-centredness in rehabilitation in dementia [39].…”