Knowing the Resident with DEMENTIA

Perspectives of Assisted Living Facility Caregivers

Rasin, Joyce PhD, RN
Kautz, Donald D. PhD, RN

Dr. Rasin is Associate Professor and Coordinator, Community-Based Nursing, School of Nursing, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kautz is Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Address correspondence to Donald D. Kautz, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 308 Moore Building, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402–6170; e-mail: [email protected].

The study was conducted while Dr. Rasin was faculty at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dr. Kautz was faculty at Winston-Salem State University. This project was supported by the Center for Innovation in Health Disparities Research (CIHDR) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Nursing (NIH Research Grant 5P20NR8369 funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities). The authors wish to acknowledge Margaret Sand-elowski, PhD, and Chris McQuiston, PhD, RN, in guiding the research, Elizabeth Tornquist for editorial assistance, and Dawn Wyrick for her assistance with this article.

Journal of Gerontological Nursing 33(9):p 30-36, September 2007.

This qualitative study describes the kinds of knowledge used by caregivers when caring for older adults with dementia residing in assisted living facilities. Five focus groups were conducted with a total of 23 caregivers from both small and large facilities. Two categories of knowledge were described: behavior-centered knowledge and person-centered knowledge. Behavior-centered knowledge focuses on strategies needed to manage behaviors, whereas person-centered knowledge focuses on the needs of the person exhibiting the behavior. Recommendations about the role of gerontological nurses and the training of caregivers in assisted living facilities are provided.