Agitation near the end of life with dementia: An ethnographic study of care.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Agitation is common in people living with dementia especially at the end of life. We examined how staff interpreted agitation behavior in people with dementia nearing end of life, how this may influence their responses and its impact on the quality of care.

Research design

Ethnographic study. Structured and semi-structured non-participant observations (referred to subsequently in this paper as "structured observations") of people living with dementia nearing the end of life in hospital and care homes (south-east England) and in-depth interviews with staff, conducted August 2015-March 2017.

Methods

Three data sources: 1) detailed field notes, 2) observations using a structured tool and checklist for behaviors classed as agitation and staff and

SUBMITTER: Sampson EL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6808497 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature