Abstract
Objective
To explore health professionals’ (clinicians) approach to the provision of care in a dementia setting.
Methods
Participants were clinicians from two older persons’ mental health services (community and inpatient). Participants completed an interview about strategies to engage with, and barriers to providing person‐centred care to consumers with a co‐morbid diagnosis of dementia. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results
Three main themes were developed through analysis of the interview data: (1) overall approach to care (synthesis of care and cure principles), (2) the challenges in the provision of care, and (3) coping strategies to manage care demands.
Conclusion
Developing a relationship with a patient and attending to their medical needs were seen as optimal care, relevant to both person‐centred and task‐oriented approaches to dementia care. Clinicians also highlighted the importance of their own personal resources and attitudes in shaping the type of care provided.