Exploring the impact of dementia-friendly ward environments on the provision of care: A qualitative thematic analysis

Abstract

Dementia-friendly wards are recent developments to improve care for patients with dementia in acute hospitals. This qualitative study used focus groups to understand the impact of dementia friendly ward environments on nurses experiences of caring for acutely unwell patients with dementia. Qualified nurses and health care assistants working in an acute NHS Trust in England discussed their perceptions and experiences of working in a dementia-friendly ward environment. Four themes developed from the thematic analysis: (1) ‘It doesn’t look like a hospital’: A changed environment, (2) ‘More options to provide person-centred care’: No one size fits all, (3) ‘Before you could not see the patients’: A constant nurse presence and (4) ‘The ward remains the same’: Resistance to change. Recommendations and implementations for practice are discussed.

Keywords

dementia hospital environment nursing qualitative focus groups

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