Towards a person-centred approach for older people with intellectual disabilities: the use and effect of Dementia Care Mapping

Abstract

The increasing number of older people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and associated diseases such as dementia, calls for new types of care and support. Person-centred care methods may provide in this. Dementia Care Mapping (DCM), is a person-centred observation method, designed to support staff in care for people with dementia. This study examined the use and effects of DCM in care for older people with ID using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative studies showed no effects regarding job satisfaction of staff and quality of life of clients. An explanation may be that the high engagement, involvement and dedication of care staff may have led to overestimation of their own skills, which leaves no room for DCM to improve job satisfaction and quality of life (‘ceiling effect’), or that DCM don’t affect these outcome measures, because these are too far away from the objectives of DCM. In the qualitative studies staff perceived DCM as a useful method for improvement of care for older clients with ID, with and without dementia. The perceived impact on awareness of staff regarding the psychosocial wellbeing of their ageing clients could contribute to greater use of person-centred care, if DCM is adequately implemented and embedded in daily care practice. Future research should examine the effects of DCM on job performance of care-staff, quality of care, and quality of staff-client interactions, and how this affects the quality of life of older people with ID.