Dementia Care Mapping

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Chapter 24:  Dementia Care Mapping

Overview:

• Includes an explanation of Kitwood’s person-centred theory relevant equation
• The Bradford Dementia Group indicators of well-being and ill-being are provided
• The Bradford Dementia Group interactions that undermine personhood are provided
• The methods, results and practical uses of DCM are discussed
• The drawbacks of DCM are explained, such as its subjectiveness and insufficient sensitivity

Description:
Dementia care mapping (DCM) is a structured observational method for recording what a person with dementia is engaged in, and the quality of his or her response to that engagement. This chapter discusses this tool which provides evidenced-based data for improvements in both individual care-planning and wider management decisions.

Topics:

• Introduction to DCM
• Underlying philosophy
  • Neurological impairment
  • Physical health
  • Biography
  • Personality
  • Social environment
  • Personal and sensory environment
• Personhood
• Well-being and ill-being
• Personal detractors
• Methods and results of DCM
  • Immediate benefits
• Practical uses of DCM
  • Immediate benefits
  • Short-term benefits
  • Longer-term benefits
  • Research and development
• Criticisms
  • Time-consuming
  • Used only in communal areas
  • Insufficiently sensitive
  • Presence of mapper likely to affect care workers
  • Subjective

Speaker / Author:

Virginia Moore
Virginia is an occupational therapist who has worked for more than twelve years with the Brightwater Care Group (Western Australia) which provides services to people with disabilities in residential-care facilities and in their homes. Virginia is the dementia services consultant and manager of specialist support services. In this role she provides expert consulting and support to a range of people, including those providing dementia care.

Virginia has had extensive experience in the aged-care area including acute care, rehabilitation, and long-term care. She also spent several years as clinical coordinator and lecturer with Curtin University School of Occupational Therapy (Western Australia). In 1998 Virginia was the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship to travel to the UK and Scandinavia. Her area of special interest was an evaluation tool known as ‘Dementia Care Mapping’, the subject of this chapter.

Professional Reviews: