Did you know that the involvement of people with dementia in the development of their treatment plan improves their quality of life?

Traditionally, people with dementia, and especially those living in nursing homes, have been considered passive objects of attention, that is, they are not involved in the decisions made about their lives. The Research Group on Gerontology of the Department of Developmental Psychology and Education of the University of Barcelona, led by Dr. Feliciano Villar, presented to the collaborating nursing homes the potentially beneficial effects of including elderly people with mild to moderate dementia in interdisciplinary meetings to develop and get them involved in their treatment plan, promote social and healthcare decision-making, and take into account their individual perspectives.

The study has shown that the involvement of people with dementia in the development of their treatment plan changes the dynamics of these meetings: for the patients, the effects focus on a better self-appraisal and an improvement in their quality of life; for the staff of the nursing homes, patient involvement represents an awareness of the importance of taking into account their opinions and understand their needs and behaviour.