Characteristics of care methods for daily life disabilities in Alzheimer's type dementia that respect autonomy and independence

Abstract

Abstract Aim To clarify the characteristics of appropriate care methods for people with daily life disabilities due to Alzheimer's type dementia. Design A cross‐sectional survey study. Methods A survey was implemented targeting 2,156 advanced care practitioners for dementia. The postal, self‐administered anonymous questionnaire was rated on a 4‐point Likert scale to assess the benefits of care for daily life disabilities depending on severity. We conducted factor analysis to determine characteristics of the appropriate care. Results There were 568 valid responses, a valid response rate of 26.3%. The characteristics found were “Simplicity of necessities” and “Communication using verbal language on what should be done next” for mild cases; “Opportunities for completion of a task are provided with verbal communication,” “Marks” and “Arrange the environment with verbal communication” for moderate cases; and “Explain the process in the order of each individual action,” “Prevent non‐starts and interruptions” and “Confirm intention” for severe cases.

Keywords

• Alzheimer's type dementia
• autonomy
• daily life disability care
• independence