Dementia-Friendly Hospital—The Perspective of Professional Dementia Experts

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the professional dementia experts' understanding of a dementia-friendly hospital to identify its characteristics. Design: We used a qualitative design embedded in a case study. A total of 16 semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with 17 professional dementia experts. Using inductive content analysis, the interviews were analysed in a participatory manner involving a group of researchers and dementia experts. Results: We identified six characteristics of dementia-friendly hospitals: Proud to be dementia-friendly—That's what we want; Seeing the human being—Taking care of everyone; Having everyone on board—It's a collective task; Being professional—It takes more than being nice and kind; Rethinking the ‘running’ system—We have to change, not them; and Being part of the community—Thinking beyond the hospital. Conclusion: The concept of a dementia-friendly hospital seems complex and requires a rethinking of the traditional hospital. For a conceptualisation, the involvement of people with dementia and their relatives is important to gain a comprehensive understanding. Implications for the Profession and Patient Care: A dementia-friendly hospital is characterised by professional care that comprises a safe, familiar and supportive environment, is prepared but also flexible, has everyone on board, and sees the human being. To become dementia-friendly, individual interventions such as training courses can be a starting point. However, an overall concept is required that also includes components that contribute to successful implementation and a welcoming culture of people with dementia. Impact: Our findings on the perspective of professional dementia experts contribute to the conceptualisation of dementia-friendly hospitals. Reporting Method: We reported our study according to the COREQ checklist. Patient and Public Contribution: The investigation of the perspective of professional dementia experts is one part of a larger study. In this overall DEMfriendlyHospital study, we interviewed professional dementia experts, people with dementia and their relatives and also involved them in a participatory manner in various stages of the research process.