Introduction: People living with dementia can have complex dental care needs. Dentists and patients should make treatment decisions together, yet some people living with dementia may be unable to make their own decisions about their dental care. Dental treatment decision-making and patients' experiences of this process have not been comprehensively researched.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the dental treatment decision-making perspectives and experiences of people living with dementia and their family members.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 8 people living with dementia and 17 family caregivers. A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted, using a maximum variation sample. Qualitative data collection and analysis occurred concurrently. Data underwent initial open coding followed by more focused coding, supported by reflexive memo writing, which supported data categorisation.

Results: People living with dementia reported wanting to be understood as unique individuals with specific needs. All participants described wanting to be actively involved in dental treatment decisions. However, many felt that they were insufficiently involved in treatment decision-making. This perceived underinvolvement meant that some people living with dementia and family members felt the treatment outcomes they sought were neither discussed nor considered.

Conclusion: People living with dementia and carers had specific expectations of dental care yet felt passive in decision-making despite their desire to be involved in this process. Dentists should seek to actively establish patients' preferences, regardless of mental capacity and consider these in discussions and decisions about dental treatment.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ger.12687DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

people living
32
living dementia
32
dental treatment
20
treatment decision-making
16
dementia family
16
dental care
12
treatment
8
people
8
experiences people
8
living
8

Similar Publications

In fluvial environments, the shifting of river channels and bank erosion are frequently caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Riverine hazards like bank erosion and course alterations offer severe issues to the riparian villages along the lower basin of the Tista River in India, which substantially influence the livelihoods of inhabitants living there. This research addressed river channel shifting tendency and identified major bank erosion-prone villages along the lower course of the Tista River and challenges to the livelihoods of the riparian people.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the relationship between dysphagia and social isolation among community-dwelling older people.

Methods: The study participants were 238 community-dwelling older people (168 women; mean age, 74.0 ± 5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: As the global population of older adults rises, the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) advocates for disease prevention, management, and enhancing overall wellbeing in older adults. We reviewed the MEDLINE literature under the MeSH term "music therapy" (MT), for its role in promoting healthy ageing.

Methods: A systematic search of the MEDLINE biomedical database (Ovid) was conducted using "MT" and "Ageing" as keywords, retrieving relevant full-text studies in English.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Physical activity and exercise are promoted worldwide as effective interventions for healthy ageing. Various exercise initiatives have been developed and evaluated for their efficacy and effectiveness among older populations. However, a deeper understanding of participants' experiences with these initiatives is crucial to foster long-term activity and exercise among older persons.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Understanding how users of home-based aged care services with cognitive impairment rate their social care related quality of life.

BMC Geriatr

January 2025

Deputy Director of the Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit (HSCWRU), The Policy Institute, King's College London, 22 Kings Way, London, WC2B 6LE, England.

Background: Over the past decades, self-directed models of care have been implemented throughout the world to support older people, including those with dementia, to live at home. However, there is limited information about how self-directed home care is experienced by older people with cognitive impairment and dementia, and how their thinking informs their care choices and quality of life.

Methods: We used the ASCOT-Easy Read, a staggered reveal method, talk aloud techniques, probing questions, and physical assistance to support users of self-directed home care in Australia with cognitive impairment and dementia to discuss their Social Care Related Quality of Life (SCRQoL).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!