Person-Centered Considerations in Practice for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers across the Continuum of Care

As the population ages, there is a corresponding increase in dementias that impact mental health. Consequently, older people with dementia and their caregivers are increasingly encountered across the continuum of care, including institutional and community-based acute and long-term care settings. Yet many professionals are ill-equipped to meet the behavioral manifestations presented by older adults with dementia. Similarly, caregivers present with needs that are not well-understood by professionals throughout the range of care settings. This article discusses a person-centered framework and presents models for practice by the stages of the dementia process and the stages of caregiving. The models for practice are applicable across the continuum of care.