The time-shifting phenomenon in people with dementia

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K19269
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Higashiosaka Junior College
• Principal Investigator: Noguchi Dai 東大阪大学短期大学部, その他部局等, 准教授 (80744854)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 認知症 / タイムシフト / BPSD / 介護 / 災害 / 危機認識 / Therapeutic lying

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study surveys family caregivers to examine the prevalence of time-shifting among community-dwelling individuals with dementia and its associated factors. Of the family caregivers, 47.1% identified time-shifting in the person with dementia that they cared for. Among these, 27.6% reported that the person with dementia time-shifted on a ‘daily basis’. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that AD involved more time-shifting than other types of dementia. Those who required higher levels of care were more likely to shift over time. Furthermore, the results surprisingly suggested that younger age groups were more likely to shift over time. The survey of the therapeutic lying, which is considered an effective way to deal with time-shifting, revealed that 89.2% of caregivers had lied to a person with dementia. Among these, 94.1% reported that it sometimes worked, and 32.6% reported that it sometimes caused problems.

Free Research Field

介護福祉学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は、認知症ケアの大きな課題の1つであるBPSDの予防につながる点で意義が大きいと考えられる。またタイムシフトを起こした認知症の人は、現実の危機認識も低下しており、緊急時に自分からは避難行動を起こさない可能性が指摘されてきた。そのため、タイムシフトしやすい人の特定や、避難誘導時における適切な働きかけや対応、つまり治療のための嘘を用いた支援方法の解明は、認知症の人と介護者の緊急時・災害時の安全にもつながる点において大きな意義を持つと考えられる。