Abstract
Meaningful activities can enhance quality of life, a sense of connectedness, and personhood for persons with dementia. Healthcare professionals play an important role in maintaining meaningful activities, but little is currently known about the impact of the transition from home to nursing home on these activities. This study explored the experiences of professionals in four Dutch nursing homes, identifying facilitators and barriers to the maintenance of meaningful activities during the transition. A qualitative explorative design was used. Data were collected using focus groups and analyzed using thematic analysis. Twenty-two professionals participated in four focus groups, and three themes were identified: (1) a lack of awareness and attention for meaningful activities; (2) activities should be personalized and factors such as person characteristics, interests, the social and physical environment, and specific information such as roles, routines, activities, and personal issues play an important role in maintaining activities; (3) in the organization of care, a person-centered care vision, attitudes of professionals and interdisciplinary collaboration facilitate maintenance of meaningful activities. Healthcare professionals felt that meaningful activities are difficult to maintain and that improvements are needed. Our study provides suggestions on how to maintain meaningful activities for persons with dementia prior, during and after the transition.
Highlights
Meaningful activities are commonly mentioned in relation to quality of life and management of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia [1]
This study explores the experiences of healthcare professionals in Dutch nursing homes in relation to (1) maintaining meaningful activities when persons with dementia move from home to a nursing home, (2) working together as a multidisciplinary team to maintain meaningful activities, and (3) the experienced barriers and facilitators
Focus groups were used to gain an in-depth insight into the experiences of healthcare professionals regarding meaningful activities for persons with dementia in transition from the home to a nursing home, and the factors experienced as barriers and facilitators
Summary
Meaningful activities are commonly mentioned in relation to quality of life and management of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia [1]. A wide range of activities can be seen as meaningful activities, such as reminiscence, music, family, and social activities and individual activities related to routines and habits, for instance, domestic tasks [3]. Meaningful activities can enhance wellbeing [4], provide a sense of connectedness to self, others, and the environment [5], and a sense of personhood [6]. Despite these benefits, engaging in meaningful activities can be difficult
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