A family-centred approach to dementia care

The possible challenges to a family-centred approach to care are from practice-based tensions illustrated in the example given here - confidentiality, consent and managing risk. They could be outweighed possibly by the advantages of approaching care from a relational point of view, encouraging the person with dementia to maintain family relationships in a familiar environment with the people that they know best. Admiral Nurses are familiar with partnership working, providing an enabling and empowering approach as a necessary part of working with a carer as a primary focus to care. Our research study is currently collecting data from carers, people with dementia, Admiral Nurses and stakeholders who are part of the Admiral Nurse service to develop consensus around the meaning and applicability of the family-centred approach to various stakeholder groups, including people with dementia, family groups and practising Admiral Nurses. The research study aims to discover if the philosophy of Admiral Nursing in particular can be guided by a family-centred approach with outcomes of care generated from relationships expressed from both within the family and from their close social support network. It is not people with dementia who removed themselves from within their family, social and relationship context, but public policy, practitioners and the researcher community who have made this separation. It is time to connect the dots and join up lives.