Dementia Care Planning: Shared Experience and Collaboration

The perceived care challenges faced by family caregivers and healthcare providers in providing dementia care and the supports they need to address these challenges are the two key areas of exploration in this descriptive study. The perceptions were explored through semi-structured interviews and a focus group. The results from this study identified that families and healthcare providers can be partners in planning dementia care provided that they communicate effectively about their experiences and approaches to care in a climate that encourages participation and cooperation. Implications for practice and a proposed model to address dementia care challenges are discussed.