Using documentary films to teach nurses about gender and the vulnerabilities facing older men with advanced dementia

Abstract

Aims and objectives To review short documentary films about older men with advanced dementia to use in teaching, and therein address the gender imbalance in the dementia care curricula and create opportunities to learn about masculine vulnerability. Background There has been a growing recognition of the role of gender in respect of vulnerability, with emerging evidence suggesting a need to acknowledge and prioritise dementia as a global women's health issue. Whilst a focus on women is understandable—more women are affected by dementia than men—gender does not equal women. It is important for nursing students, nurses and allied health professionals to understand the vulnerabilities facing older men with dementia as well, including gay men, who may face additional challenges. Design Discursive paper outlining the limitations of using mainstream fiction films in dementia care education and reviewing three short documentary films about older men with advanced dementia to use in teaching. Methods We summarised the literature on using films in nurse education and review three short documentary films about older men with advanced dementia and their (male) caregivers in the context of international nursing standards and concept of vulnerability. Conclusions Education is key to understanding and improving the lived experience of dementia. Our article endorses the use of films in the classroom but highlights that mainstream fiction films about people (women) with dementia are not always appropriate for pedagogic purposes. Our review of three short documentary films on older men with advanced dementia uncovers an untapped teaching resource for care educators. Relevance to clinical practice Given the rising number of older men and women with advanced dementia, nurses are uniquely positioned to advocate for and mobilise support. The short documentary films reviewed in this article can engage nurses emotionally and generate discussion of ways that older men with dementia and their caregivers might be vulnerable.

Older people's experiences of vulnerability in a trust‐based welfare society affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Quotes from our informants express fear, shame and guilt in addition to gratitude and new perspectives on what is important in life. This complexity of feelings is recognised in the theory of vulnerability, which holds that individuals are constantly in motion, contextually sensitive and have personal responses to vulnerable situations (Bartlett et al, 2022; Kemit, 2018).…”

“…The 'vulnerable situations' narrative is a response to this critique. Belonging to a certain vulnerable group, such as being elderly or having a disability, does not make a person vulnerable per se (Bartlett et al, 2022). Vulnerability is in flux, dynamic and relational depending on the situation and 'cannot be reduced to a single metric for the purpose of classification' (Orru et al, 2022, p. 745).…”

Dementia care: Research and clinical innovation

“…Essential elements of dementia education and training that have been identified within this special issue include specific knowledge and skills to support nurses caring for people with dementia in an acute hospital environment to implement non‐pharmacological interventions and refrain from applying restrictive measures and medication (Keuning‐Plantinga et al, 2020). A further necessary element is that of inclusivity, which enables health and social care professionals to provide appropriate care for minority groups, such as sexual or ethnic minorities, alongside the inclusion of end of life care for a person with dementia, which may involve comfort feeding (Bartlett et al, 2020; Gulestø et al, 2020; Matarasso Greenfield et al, 2020).…”