Promoting Cognitive Security among People with Dementia through Empathy, Person-centred Attitudes and a Compassionate Approach

Abstract

This thesis seeks to make an original contribution to knowledge in the field of dementia care. It does this by presenting a model of the personal qualities required by carers (professional and informal) of people with dementia. This model is derived from and justified by insights and research findings from within my published work into aspects of care for people with dementia. I propose that the essential task for carers is to identify and enhance the person’s sense of cognitive security, which is linked to personhood and well-being. The qualities that carers need in order to achieve this are empathy, person-centred attitudes and a compassionate approach. I analyse each of these qualities in terms of their component features, citing evidence from my published work and related literature. I then discuss some of the implications of my ideas for dementia care practice and for education and training. I conclude by considering some possible directions for future research.