What do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care?

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dc.contributor.advisorFarrant, Lindsay
dc.contributor.advisorFarrant, Lindsay
dc.contributor.authorForbes, Aileen
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-03T07:44:44Z
dc.date.available2026-07-03T07:44:44Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.date.updated2026-07-02T14:10:36Z
dc.description.abstractBackground: Globally, the number of people diagnosed with dementia is set to continue to rise, and in the advanced stage of this disease, many patients require nursing home (NH) care. The symptom burden of advanced dementia suggests that a palliative approach to care is not only appropriate but necessary, and NH staff need a sound understanding of dementia and the role palliative care plays in alleviating suffering. Little is known about the knowledge held by NH staff in South Africa in these areas. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine what NH staff know and understand about dementia and palliative care. Methods: The study used a concurrent mixed methods design, with quantitative data obtained by 184 participants completing questionnaires on dementia and palliative care, and qualitative data from the interviews of 14 NH staff. The quantitative and qualitative data were then merged through a narrative discussion. Results: The findings of this study indicate that knowledge gaps exist in dementia and palliative care across all categories of staff in the NHs that participated in this study. It also highlights reliance on intuition and personal experience rather than on the education of NH staff to deliver high-standard care and draws attention to unmet training needs and the impact end-of-life care has on NH staff. Conclusion: The knowledge gaps seen consistently across facilities not only identify training needs but highlight the untapped potential of NH staff to provide quality palliative care to patients with advanced dementia. Further research looking at the specific unmet needs of patients with advanced dementia in NHs in South Africa, and how best to maximise the potential of NH staff through education and training would be valuable.
dc.identifier.apacitationForbes, A. (2026). <i>What do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care?</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43459en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationForbes, Aileen. <i>"What do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care?."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2026. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43459en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationForbes, A. 2026. What do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care?. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43459en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Forbes, Aileen AB - Background: Globally, the number of people diagnosed with dementia is set to continue to rise, and in the advanced stage of this disease, many patients require nursing home (NH) care. The symptom burden of advanced dementia suggests that a palliative approach to care is not only appropriate but necessary, and NH staff need a sound understanding of dementia and the role palliative care plays in alleviating suffering. Little is known about the knowledge held by NH staff in South Africa in these areas. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine what NH staff know and understand about dementia and palliative care. Methods: The study used a concurrent mixed methods design, with quantitative data obtained by 184 participants completing questionnaires on dementia and palliative care, and qualitative data from the interviews of 14 NH staff. The quantitative and qualitative data were then merged through a narrative discussion. Results: The findings of this study indicate that knowledge gaps exist in dementia and palliative care across all categories of staff in the NHs that participated in this study. It also highlights reliance on intuition and personal experience rather than on the education of NH staff to deliver high-standard care and draws attention to unmet training needs and the impact end-of-life care has on NH staff. Conclusion: The knowledge gaps seen consistently across facilities not only identify training needs but highlight the untapped potential of NH staff to provide quality palliative care to patients with advanced dementia. Further research looking at the specific unmet needs of patients with advanced dementia in NHs in South Africa, and how best to maximise the potential of NH staff through education and training would be valuable. DA - 2026 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Palliative Care KW - Dementia KW - Nursing home LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2026 T1 - What do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care? TI - What do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care? UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43459 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/43459
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationForbes A. What do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care?. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, 2026 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43459en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Health and Family Medicine
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectPalliative Care
dc.subjectDementia
dc.subjectNursing home
dc.titleWhat do nursing home staff understand about dementia and the palliative approach to dementia care?
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelPalliative Medicine
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