The use of therapeutic lying in dementia care from the perspective of Brazilian caregivers

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundTherapeutic lying (TL) is a strategy that aims at the safety and well‐being of people with dementia (PwD), especially when they present behavioral changes. James et al. (2006) developed a protocol of guidelines on how to use the technique, demonstrating that its use requires trained professionals and caregivers. Considering that caregivers are the primary stakeholders in the daily life of PwD, it is critical to obtain their views on the use of TL in care practice. This study is part of a sequence of investigations into different public views on the use of TL with PwD, having already published the study with speech‐language pathologists. Thus, the purpose of this study was to verify the use and knowledge of TL among caregivers of PwD.MethodThis is a cross‐sectional study carried out through an online questionnaire. This is a cross‐sectional study carried out through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was spread on social networks and collected sociodemographic data and information on knowledge, use and opinion regarding TL among PwD caregivers. The results were presented descriptively and the association between the frequency of the answers and the category of caregivers (formal or informal) was verified using the Chi‐square test with 5% significance.ResultsTwenty caregivers (17 informal and 3 formal), with a mean age of 48.6 years (±14.6), were included in the study. 90% of them had lied to PwD to benefit the patients and 25% had lied to benefit themselves. 20% had heard about TL, only 10% learned about the strategy in their training, and 75% would like to learn more about it. Also, 70.6% of caregivers think it is very valid to use TL, but 50% think it is very ethical. There was no significant difference for the responses when compared between formal or informal caregivers.ConclusionThe use of TL is widespread among caregivers, even without appropriate training to use this technique. Many caregivers question how ethical it can be to lie to PwD, even if it is to benefit them. Clearly, there is a need for education and training on TL in this population.