Trial Lecture – time and place
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Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Kennet Asplund, Ersta Sköndal Bräcke Högskola
- Second opponent: Professor Frode Fadnes Jacobsen, Høgskulen på Vestlandet
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate Professor Lisbeth Thoresen, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Associate Professor Anne Kari Tolo Heggestad
Principal Supervisor
Professor Ådel Bergland
Summary
Meeting psychosocial needs of older home-dwelling persons with dementia is of importance to be able to provide quality dementia care in home care services.
The aim of this thesis was to explore and describe health care professionals’ perspectives on managing psychosocial needs during the process of assessing, allocating and providing healthcare services to older home-dwelling persons with dementia.
Data was collected through focus group interviews with purchasers assessing and allocating municipal healthcare services along with providers of home care services. In addition, a total of 246 administrative decisions granting home care services or day care centres were reviewed.
The study showed that physical needs were mainly prioritised above psychosocial needs when assessing, allocating and providing services.
Difficulties in defining and describing psychosocial needs and challenges in talking and writing about dementia hampered the assessment, allocation and provision of care for meeting psychosocial needs. The study uncovered ambiguity and differences in the perception both of psychosocial needs themselves and of who is responsible for safeguarding them. Also, it was found that a variety of organisational restrictions and challenges hamper the meeting of psychosocial needs.
Unclear or sensitive concepts, unclear assessments due to among others conflicting goals and demands, and unclear responsibilities were of importance for how psychosocial needs were perceived, emphasised and managed. This general lack of clarity caused safeguarding the psychosocial needs to be put at risk.
Overall, this study revealed a need for increased knowledge of and focus on psychosocial needs. Emphasising these needs in the assessment, allocation and provision of care for older persons with dementia might increase their ability to remain home-dwelling longer and experience quality of life throughout the course of dementia.
Additional information
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