| Abstract [eng] |
Adelė Mikėnaitė. Master's thesis: ‘‘Nurses’ Experiences in Home Care for Patients with Suspected Dementia‘‘. Thesis supervisor – doctor Renata Šturienė, advisor – lecturer Marius Čiurlionis. Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing. Vilnius, 2025; 69 pages. Study validity. Dementia is still underdiagnosed worldwide, with around 75 per cent of all cases going undiagnosed. Most people with cognitive impairment are cared for at home, and almost 99 per cent of them see a primary care professional at least once a year. Thus, the focus is on the nursing profession, as it is the nurse who is in contact with the patient most of the time and is usually the first point of contact for patients or their relatives at the onset of early symptoms of dementia, and can therefore suspect a dementia–related condition. The aim of the study was to assess the experiences of home care nurses in suspecting dementia in patients. The objectives of the study were: 1. To identify signs of dementia or changes in cognitive function suspected by a home care nurse in a patient receiving care at home; 2. To identify the home care actions taken by home care nurses when dementia is suspected in patients. 3. To identify the difficulties encountered by home care nurses when they suspect dementia in patients. Research methodology: qualitative descriptive phenomenological research method. The data collection method was individual, semi–structured interviews. A total of 10 eligible home care nurses participated in the study. The interviews were conducted between February 2025 and March 2025. Data analysis was carried out using a qualitative content analysis approach. Results: Three themes and nine categories were identified. For the first theme (1) Recognising signs of dementia and cognitive impairment in nursing practice, two categories were formulated: in the perspective of regular care ‘‘certain signs emerge‘‘ , and helping nurse to notice changes. The second theme (2), actions to be taken by the home care nurse when dementia suspected, is divided into four categories: the need for interdisciplinary cooperation, organisation of the home nursing process, providing holistic home nursing care, and involving relatives. For the third theme (3), the difficulties faced by the carer when suspecting dementia in patients, three categories are identified: difficulties in coordinating health services, stigmatised attitudes of relatives and the lack of interdisciplinary teamwork. Conclusions: 1. The availability and regularity of home–based services in the patient's unique home environment enables carers to recognise dementia symptoms as early as possible. 2. The identification of cognitive impairment allows the carer to tailor home services to the individual's needs, involving both relatives and the interdisciplinary team, to ensure continuous and comprehensive care for the patient. 3. The lack of education on early dementia symptomatology and the absence of tools for its assessment makes it difficult for carers to identify whether symptoms are dementia–related. In addition, stigmatised attitudes towards dementia among relatives and lack of interdisciplinary team collaboration limit access to services, hindering the full participation of the carer in the early diagnosis of dementia. |
