Dementia care mapping to support staff in the care of people with intellectual disability and dementia: a feasibility study

Abstract

Background The number of people with intellectual disability and dementia increases; this combination causes behavioural changes. Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) supports staff in dementia care in nursing homes and may be useful in intellectual disability‐care. This qualitative study examines the feasibility of DCM for older people with intellectual disability and dementia. Methods The present authors obtained data in focus groups and interviews with professional users and analysed using a framework for feasibility studies. With experts in dementia and intellectual disability researches, the present authors determined the overall feasibility. Results DCM was found to be feasible in intellectual disability‐care, regarding five domains of feasibility. Staff reported DCM to be useful and valuable and addresses to their demand for skills and knowledge. All professional users found DCM feasible in intellectual disability‐care, which was confirmed by experts. Conclusions DCM is feasible in intellectual disability‐care. When fully tailored to intellectual disability‐care, DCM is useful and provides opportunities to assess its effectiveness.

Effects of Dementia Care Mapping on job satisfaction and caring skills of staff caring for older people with intellectual disabilities: A quasi‐experimental study

“…The lack of effect of DCM on job satisfaction and working skills seems to contradict promising findings in earlier studies on DCM in ID-care (Finnamore & Lord, 2007;Jaycock et al, 2006;Schaap, Fokkens, et al, 2018;. This contrast between our study and previous ones may be explained in several ways.…”

“…However, adjustment for these differences did not affect the findings. Third, the new ID‐mappers were trained using a not yet fully adapted version of ID‐care, although in a pilot this version had been shown to be adequate (Schaap, Fokkens, et al, ). Furthermore, we have accomplished integrity checks of the products of the observation, that is the reports and action plans, but not of the observation process itself.…”

“…In this first implementation of DCM in ID‐care, we found no evidence that DCM increases job satisfaction, (dementia/person‐centred) working skills and knowledge of ID‐care staff, making it questionable whether DCM should be implemented to improve these issues. Yet prior and qualitative studies provided strong indications that person‐centred care, with methods such as DCM, does improve care by enhancing the knowledge and skills of ID‐care staff (Bertelli, Salerno, Rondini, & Salvador‐Carulla, ; Kendrick, ; Schaap, Fokkens, et al, ; Van der Meer et al, ). Further research is needed to elucidate this discrepancy, for example by in‐depth interviews with participating ID‐staff or direct observation, and by including more stressed staff to, for example a lower staff/resident ratio.…”

“…In ID‐care DCM has as yet been little used, but has been found promising in providing good care for older people with intellectual disabilities—whether or not with dementia (Finnamore & Lord, ; Jaycock, Persaud, & Johnson, ; Persaud & Jaycock, ; Schaap, Dijkstra, Finnema, & Reijneveld, ). DCM was shown to be feasible for people with intellectual disabilities, with and without dementia, after tailoring case histories and examples to ID‐care, but without altering the core DCM‐principles and DCM‐codes (Schaap, Fokkens, Dijkstra, Reijneveld, & Finnema, ; Schaap, Dijkstra, et al, ). Nevertheless, evidence on its effectiveness is lacking (Schaap, Fokkens, et al, ; Schaap, Dijkstra, et al, ).…”

“…DCM was shown to be feasible for people with intellectual disabilities, with and without dementia, after tailoring case histories and examples to ID‐care, but without altering the core DCM‐principles and DCM‐codes (Schaap, Fokkens, Dijkstra, Reijneveld, & Finnema, ; Schaap, Dijkstra, et al, ). Nevertheless, evidence on its effectiveness is lacking (Schaap, Fokkens, et al, ; Schaap, Dijkstra, et al, ). The aim of this study was therefore to examine the effect of DCM on the job satisfaction and (person‐centred) working skills of staff caring for older clients with intellectual disabilities.…”