Overcoming COVID-19 constraints on person centered dementia care: A narrative inquiry of lived experiences of residential care staff in Belgium

Context: Person-centredness is integral to high-quality dementia care. The coronavirus prevention and control measures significantly disrupted delivery of person-centred
dementia care.

Objective: To explore the lived experiences of residential care staff of overcoming the coronavirus constraints on person-centred dementia care.

Methods: A narrative correspondence inquiry undertaken between August and October 2020 engaged three (n = 3) residential care staff in Belgium. Criterion sampling included staff involved in caring for people with dementia in an organisation providing a multitude of residential care services.

Findings: Four overarching themes were identified, comprising the chaos embedded in uncertainties, restructuring the service, transition shock, and reorienting the service
to person-centred care. Working with unfamiliar procedures disorganised the care environment and the ability for residents to take part in meaningful activities. Residential
care staff creatively remodelled person-centredness around the coronavirus prevention and control measures to restore continuity of good standards of dementia care.

Limitations: The correspondence method of gathering narratives was opportune for undertaking qualitative research during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic and provided a means of exploring in-depth the experiences of staff. However, this study is limited to a small sample of participants from one organisation.

Implications: The coronavirus pandemic not only introduced challenges but also prospects of effective ways of delivering care to adequately meet the needs of people with dementia. The hierarchical boundaries several disciplines often create in health and social care defy effective collaborations in dementia care.