An Evaluation of Adult Day Care for Patients with Dementia： Needs Satisfaction of Patients with Dementia and their Caregivers

• Main Author: 黃敏鳳
• Other Authors: 徐亞瑛
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/93987342980977534090

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 護理學研究所 === 87 === The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult day care for patients with dementia. The contents of the evaluation focused on exploring the needs satisfaction of patients with dementia and their caregivers. This study was carried out in two adult day care centers located in the northern and central parts of Taiwan. Qualitative study design was used in this study. In addition to face-to-face interviews with nine patients with dementia, their caregivers, and six nurses, participant observation and document were used to collect the data. The analytical method described by Miles & Huberman (1994) was used to analyze the data. The results of the study found that adult day care for patients with dementia and their caregivers provided: medical care, daily living care, social work, management of symptoms and related problems of the dementia. Additionally, findings suggest that adult day care can benefit the patients with dementia by providing the medical care and daily living care services, and support for emotional needs. While it can not be confirmed that the symptom of the dementia was improved. Findings also revealed that adult day care satisfied the medical care needs of the caregivers, decreased the caregivers’ psycho-social burden, and provided supports for feeling and emotional needs. It is the important finding of the study that adult day care can satisfy the feeling and emotional needs of the patients with dementia and their caregivers. For patients with dementia, they can still enjoy the closeness with family while accept adult day care services. On the other hand, for the family caregivers, they can still present their love and care, and fulfill the traditional filial duty of retaining the family''s integrity. Based on the results of the study, the needs of the patients with dementia and their caregivers receiving adult day care can be recognized. These findings can serve as a base for further improvement of the service quality of the adult day care services for patients with dementia. Indicators for quality of care can be developed.