Develop a "connecting with others scale" to old adults with dementia

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23792738
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Community health/Gerontological nurisng
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima (2013-2014); University of Kochi (2011-2012)
• Principal Investigator: OSAKA Kyoko 徳島大学, ヘルスバイオサイエンス研究部, 講師 (30553490)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 認知症 / 高齢者 / BPSD / つながり感

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are often associated with greater functional impairment. Loss of connection is the fundamental emotional sign of persons with dementia. Dementia patients need some sense or feelings of ‘connecting with others’. The aim of this study is to explore the experience of the feeling of “connecting with others” using the behavioral observation method. Four dementia patients over 65 years old were observed.
The behavior themes were clustered into a thematic category of feeling “connecting with others”. These included [smiling], [humorous], [eye movement for the others], and [touch own or other’s body]. Another behavioral theme “not feeling connection” was based on five categories [verbal abuse and insufficient speech and behavior in context], [not communicating with others], [uncomfortable facial expression], [violent behavior], [following other persons (clinging vine)] and [abulia].

Free Research Field

老人看護学