Characteristics of care methods for daily life disabilities in Alzheimer's type dementia that respect autonomy and independence

Abstract

Aim: To clarify the characteristics of appropriate care methods for people with daily life disabilities due to Alzheimer's type dementia. Design: A cross-sectional survey study. Methods: A survey was implemented targeting 2,156 advanced care practitioners for dementia. The postal, self-administered anonymous questionnaire was rated on a 4-point Likert scale to assess the benefits of care for daily life disabilities depending on severity. We conducted factor analysis to determine characteristics of the appropriate care. Results: There were 568 valid responses, a valid response rate of 26.3%. The characteristics found were “Simplicity of necessities” and “Communication using verbal language on what should be done next” for mild cases; “Opportunities for completion of a task are provided with verbal communication,” “Marks” and “Arrange the environment with verbal communication” for moderate cases; and “Explain the process in the order of each individual action,” “Prevent non-starts and interruptions” and “Confirm intention” for severe cases.