Managing apathy among people with dementia living in institutional settings: Staff's perceived gap between common and best practices

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore how staff manage apathy involving a person living with dementia (PLWD). Forty-two staff members working in four Spanish long-term care facilities were interviewed; 21 were nursing assistants and 21 technical staff. They read a vignette about a PLWD presenting apathy. Participants were asked (1) how a situation like that is commonly managed, and (2) how it should be managed. Responses were content-analyzed. Most participants (88.1%) mentioned having experienced a situation similar to the one described in the vignette. Behavior-focused strategies and person-centered strategies were the most frequently mentioned. As for best practices, person-centered strategies emerged as the preferred alternative, and technical staff mentioned them more frequently than assistant carers. Our findings stress the importance of organizational guidelines and staff development in the management of apathy in PLWD.