The provision of person-centred dementia care in the context of mental health co-morbidities: ‘It can be upsetting and distressing and it’s incredibly sad’

Objective: To explore health professionals’ (clinicians) approach to the provision of care in a dementia setting. Methods: Participants were clinicians from two older persons’ mental health services (community and inpatient). Participants completed an interview about strategies to engage with, and barriers to providing person-centred care to consumers with a co-morbid diagnosis of dementia. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Three main themes were developed through analysis of the interview data: (1) overall approach to care (synthesis of care and cure principles), (2) the challenges in the provision of care, and (3) coping strategies to manage care demands. Conclusion: Developing a relationship with a patient and attending to their medical needs were seen as optimal care, relevant to both person-centred and task-oriented approaches to dementia care. Clinicians also highlighted the importance of their own personal resources and attitudes in shaping the type of care provided.