Unveiling the Concept of Person-centered Dementia Care within Occupational Therapy in Residential Aged Care Facilities: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

Abstract

Background: People with dementia living in residential aged care facilities are at risk of being deprived of occupational engagement. The link between occupational therapy and meaningful engagement of residents with moderate to advanced dementia has been established. Concepts regarding person-centered dementia care are adopted as the guiding principle for service providers in this field. However, it is unclear how occupational therapists embrace the essence of person-centered dementia care when promoting meaningful engagement of residents with moderate to advanced dementia. This study thus aims to explore how person-centered dementia care is presented from an occupational therapy perspective. Methods: Thirty peer-reviewed articles were used as the source sample for this study. A critical interpretive synthesis was conducted to critically consider the power structure underpinning occupational therapy practice in residential dementia care. Evidence pertaining to occupational therapy practice was integrated and analyzed using concepts regarding occupational justice and themes of doing, being, becoming, belonging, and co-occupation to generate synthesis. Results: This synthesis indicated that occupational therapists enhance occupational justice in residential dementia care by increasing access to meaningful engagement and enabling participation of residents in doing, being and belonging at the level of co-occupation where interdependence between residents and mainly staff members is 28 fostered. However, the becoming domain of occupation has not been comprehensively addressed. Thus, the needs of residents for continual growth and development as occupational beings have not been fully addressed by the current occupational therapy practice in residential dementia care. Conclusion: This finding suggests expanding the role of occupational therapists to empower people with moderate to advanced dementia to enact and build on continuing opportunities for agency.