K03 – Going Beyond Patient- and Family-Centered Dementia Care: The Need to Explore the Multisystemic Family Terrain

Summary

Because individuals with dementia become increasingly dependent upon others as their illness progresses, dementia care requires the involvement and commitment of others, usually family, along with support from community resources. The quality and effectiveness of a person’s dementia care are largely shaped by the foundation of family relationships and their social and community networks. While most current dementia care models incorporate patient-centered care principles and acknowledge the critical role of family member caregivers, these approaches tend to focus narrowly on individual caregivers and their dyadic relationship with the person with dementia. They underappreciate the broader relational impact of dementia on couples and families and how family relationships affect care outcomes. Understanding of family history and processes can highlight both untapped resources and threats to effective treatment. Using a multisystemic family model, this presentation will illustrate the value of screening and assessing family processes to promote optimal dementia care; support use of periodic consultations at key junctures in the illness to capture changes in individual family members and family development that may impede adherence to the plan of care; and identify ways in which standard dementia care practices may compromise delivery of safe, ethical care. Because the incorporation of relational care into dementia practice requires interprofessional education, this session will also address professional roles and responsibilities by discipline regarding post-diagnostic care, team collaboration, and communication skills.