The impact of person-centered care by means of Dementia Care Mapping on the wellbeing of residents with dementia and their caregivers in Flemisch nursing homes.

Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) is a methology developed in the UK in order to support caregivers in nursing homes to give person-centered care to residents with dementia. This methodology is thaught and used in a number of Belgian nursing homes, but as for now, no effect-study was performed. This project is a first step into that direction. We look at answering the following research questions: What influence does person-centered care, via the methodology of DCM on (1) the quality of life of residents with dementia; (2) the quality of person-centered care for persons with dementia; (3) the attitudes of caregivers towards person-centered care for residents with dementia and (4) the caregiving relationship. Also, it is investigated which factors facilitate or hinder the implemenation of a care improvement trajectory with DCM,for residents with dementia. The research is carried out in 10 nursing homes in Limburg, with an experimental group and a control group.

Keywords:Dementia, DCM, Nursing homes, Person-centered care

Disciplines:Social work, Other sociology and anthropology, Social change