In his theories about the personality of people living with dementia, Kitwood (199) identified five psychological needs experienced by people living with dementia, namely, the need for comfort, attachment, identity, occupation, and inclusion. Professional qualifications in the CANE were available to all participants (n = 15). The average total number of needs was 10.0 (s, d). The most frequently met needs were for Home Care in Menifee CA (143, 94.1%), food (123, 80.9%) and money (117, 77%).The most common unmet needs were those related to daytime activities (77, 50.7%), business occupations (60, 39.5%) and psychological disorders (47, 30.9%)).
Have you ever left a name completely blank or couldn't find the right words to say it? It's embarrassing, frustrating, and a little scary. These are everyday events for a person living with dementia. Over time, people with dementia lose their words and can't tell others what they want or need. People with dementia express their needs and wants verbally, nonverbally or behaviorally in ways that aren't always comprehensible.
More research is needed to clarify why different and less self-reported unmet needs were found, but the literature suggests that when people with dementia participate in their care and feel part of the decision-making process, their quality of life has improved. Regarding the needs of people with dementia living in the community, studies show that most of the reported unmet needs relate to daytime activities, companionship, memory, information and psychological distress. Few reports have been published on differences in perspectives on perceived needs between people with dementia who live in the community, their family caregivers and professionals. It is important to note that less agreement was found in terms of perceived needs between people with dementia and their caregivers.
In addition, people with dementia considered that factors such as general well-being, participation in activities, relationships with others, and usefulness were important to their quality of life. This highlights the importance of involving people with dementia in their own care, of asking what types of support are most suitable for them and of evaluating the quality and appropriateness of the services provided. For example, in the United Kingdom, people with dementia often have access to a community mental health team, while in the Netherlands, services may be less systematized. Its use would allow health professionals to offer appropriate care packages that meet the needs of people with dementia, taking into account room for negotiation, flexibility and creativity.
Regarding limitations, the sample was drawn from people known for the services and, as a result, the results cannot necessarily be generalized to people with dementia who live at home and have not been in contact with the services. In addition, complete data was not available on the needs assessments of users, caregivers and professionals for all participants, which limited the power of the analysis, and this is likely due to the lack of a caregiver in some cases, but also to the range of severity of people with dementia, making some people unable to complete the assessment of their own needs. None of the people with dementia reported unmet needs in the areas of food, personal care, behavior, alcohol, or benefits (financial assistance). The agreement was greater between professionals and caregivers than between people with dementia and caregivers and people with dementia and the professionals.
