Quality of care significance for Quality of life in persons with dementia at risk of moving into nursing home : a cross-sectional stud

Background: Quality of life in persons with dementia is, in large part, dependent on the quality of care they receive. Investigating both subjective and objective aspects of quality of care may reveal areas for improvement regarding their care, which information may ultimately enable persons with dementia to remain living in their own homes while maintaining quality of life. The aim of this study was threefold. Firstly, we wanted to describe self-reported quality of life in persons with dementia at risk of nursing home admission. Secondly, the aim was to describe subjective and objective aspects of quality of care. The third aim was to investigate the significance of quality of care for quality of life in persons with dementia at risk of nursing home admission. Methods: A cross-sectional interview study design was used, based on questionnaires about quality of life in persons with dementia and different aspects of quality of care. The participants were 177 persons with dementia at risk of nursing home admission. Descriptive and comparative statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: Persons with pain showed significantly lower quality of life in the dimensions behavioural competence (p=0.026) and psychological wellbeing (p=0.006) compared with those without pain. Satisfaction with received care seemed to have a positive effect on quality of life. The overall quality of life was perceived high even though one-third of the persons with dementia had daily pain and had had a weight loss of ≥4% during the preceding year. Furthermore, 23% of the persons with dementia had fallen during the last month and 40% of them had sustained an injury when falling. Conclusion: This study indicates need for improvements in home health care and social services for persons with dementia at risk for nursing home admission. Registered nurses are responsible for nursing interventions related to pain, patient safety, skin care, prevention of accidents, and malnutrition. Therefore, it