Questionable practices despite good intentions: Coping with risk and impact from dementia-related behaviours in care homes

Backhouse, Tamara ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8194-4174, Penhale, Bridget ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8487-0606, Gray, Richard and Killett, Anne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4080-8365 (2018) Questionable practices despite good intentions: Coping with risk and impact from dementia-related behaviours in care homes. Ageing & Society, 38 (9). pp. 1933-1958. ISSN 0144-686X

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Abstract

Care-home residents with dementia can experience behavioural and psychological symptoms such as aggression, agitation, anxiety, wandering, calling out, and sexual disinhibition. Care-home staff have a duty to keep residents safe. However, residents with dementia can pose particular challenges in this area. In this paper we draw on a study, which explored how care-home staff manage dementia-related behaviours. In-depth ethnographic case studies at four separate care homes were conducted in England. These involved interviews with 40 care-home staff and 384 hours of participant observation. Our analysis showed that some residents with dementia experience behaviours, which can either create risks for, or negatively impact on, themselves, and / or other residents or staff members. It emerged that the consequences of the behaviours, rather than the behaviours themselves created difficulties for staff. To cope with the risk and impact of behaviours, staff employed multiple strategies such as surveillance, resident placement, restrictions and forced care. Using the data, we explore how actions taken by staff to manage the risk and impact of behaviours in these communal settings relate to residents’ human rights. Our findings have particular relevance for care-home staff who need support and guidance in this area, for service development worldwide and for the global ageing population whose valued human rights may become under threat, if they require long-term care.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	older people,care home,human rights,risk,impact,dementia behaviours,bpsd
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Improving Access to Care (former - to 2017) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health in Later Life (former - to 2017) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Participation (former - to 2013) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Dementia & Complexity in Later Life Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	18 Mar 2017 01:42
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2023 01:57
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/63003
DOI:	10.1017/S0144686X17000368

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