From dementia mindsets to emotions and behaviors: Predicting person-centered care in care professionals

Abstract

Background and Objective High-quality care standards for dementia care are increasingly based on person-centered care principles. To better understand facilitating factors of person-centered care this research focuses on individual characteristics of care professionals. Applying mindset theory to dementia care, we examined dementia mindsets (viewing dementia symptoms as either malleable or fixed) in care professionals. We tested whether there is a positive relationship between a malleable dementia mindset and person-centered care as well as a negative relationship between a fixed dementia mindset and person-centered care. Moreover, we examined whether care professionals’ emotional responses in care situations help explain associations between dementia mindsets and person-centered care. Research Design and Method In two cross-sectional studies, care professionals of long-term care facilities (total N = 370) completed a measure of dementia mindsets and reported their emotional and behavioral responses to five care scenarios. Regression and mediation analyses were performed. Findings The tested hypotheses were partially supported. A fixed dementia mindset predicted reported person-centered care negatively, while a malleable dementia mindset did not. Mediation analyses suggest that reduced negative emotions may underlie the association between a malleable mindset and reported person-centered care, while reduced positive emotions in care situations may underlie the association of a fixed mindset and reported person-centered care. Study 2 partially replicated these findings. A fixed mindset and positive emotional responses were the most robust predictors of reported person-centered care. Discussion and Implications This study extends knowledge on facilitators (positive emotional responses to care situations) and barriers (fixed dementia mindset) to person-centered care in care professionals working with persons with dementia. We discuss how dementia mindsets and emotional responses to care situations may be a fruitful target for trainings for care professionals.

Person‐centred caregiver singing for people living with dementia in South Africa: A mixed methods evaluation of acceptability, feasibility, and professional caregivers' experiences

“…34 Despite reservations about the effectiveness of person-centred training programmes and the challenges of applying principles into practice, 42,63,64 our findings suggest that PCCS may be a unique, concrete, and applicable vehicle for the delivery of person-centred care in which practical music therapy skills encourages better attunement to residents and their needs. Our findings align with recognised outcomes of effective dementia training: a positive shift in caregivers' attitude towards dementia and people living with dementia, 65 effective emotional regulation approaches for caregivers, 60 and the creation of a caring, social environment. 53 Some minor discrepancies were noted in the quantitative responses relating to ease of application of PCCS (Q13, Q19R) and whether the intervention works well (Q15, Q18R).…”

“…Greater self‐efficacy supports positive aspects of caregiving such as feelings of mutuality, personal growth and purpose, and job satisfaction 57,58 and reduces the burden of care 59 . Caregivers' positive emotional experiences are vital in their provision of individualised care and personal relation to the resident 60 . PCCS may support these positive aspects by increasing knowledge about dementia, enhancing communication, promoting attunement, and positively shifting caregivers' attitude.…”

Recruiting a Person-Centered Direct Care Workforce Through Situational Judgement Tests: A Pilot Study in the Community Support of Older People in England

“…Care work in regulated domiciliary services in England has been criticized as providing safety-conscious and routinized support, which sits at odds with the wishes of older people ( Backhouse & Ruston, 2022 ). Studies have highlighted that care workers with fixed “mindsets” in dementia care score less well on their knowledge of person-centered approaches ( Kunz et al, 2022 ). The current study may thus reveal that workers have learned the rigid norms in their occupation, which are then reflected in their SJT responses.…”

Beliefs About the Malleability of Professional Skills and Abilities: Development and Validation of a Scale

“…Possibly, fixed mindsets are only relevant in certain situations and for immediate outcomes, such as regulatory strategies when facing setbacks and failure. In prior studies on the concept of dementia mindsets, the fixed mindset was unrelated to occupational well-being of professional caregivers, but it did predict their emotions and behavior in response to challenging care situations with dementia patients (Kunz et al, 2020, 2022). Specifically, when confronting patients who showed behavior that challenges, caregivers with a fixed dementia mindset reported reduced positive emotions and low person-centered care (i.e., an adaptive response to change the situation).…”

“…Research also provides support for the domain specificity of mindsets. That is, people can hold different mindsets across various domains that are not necessarily related, including, among others, intelligence (Dweck, 1999), creativity (Karwowski, 2014;O'Connor et al, 2013), willpower (Job et al, 2010), the modifiability of memory in older adults (Plaks & Chasteen, 2013), and dementia (Kunz et al, 2020(Kunz et al, , 2022.…”