Research finds that goal setting may help people with dementia work with healthcare professionals and caregivers to identify and achieve realistic goals that are most important to them. | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society | News Medical
New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has concluded that “goal attainment scaling” (GAS) can be used in clinical care to help people with dementia and their caregivers set and achieve personalised health goals.
The researchers developed a process for using GAS to set goals and to measure whether participants reached those goals. In a first phase of the study, they tested goal setting with 32 people who had dementia and their caregivers.
In the next phase, the dementia care managers helped an additional 101 people with dementia and their caregivers set care goals. The research team used a scale to measure how well the participants achieved their goals 6 and 12 months after setting them.
Most often, the goals focused on improving quality of life for the person with dementia, followed by caregiver support goals. Some commonly chosen goals for the person with dementia included:
- Maintaining physical safety
- Continuing to live at home
- Receiving medical care related to dementia
- Avoiding hospitalization
- Maintaining mental stimulation
- Remaining physically active
Commonly chosen caregiver goals included:
- Maintaining the caregiver’s own health
- Managing stress
- Minimizing family conflict related to dementia caregiving
Full story: Personalized goal setting to improve dementia care | News Medical
Full reference: Lee A. Jennings et al. | Personalized Goal Attainment in Dementia Care: Measuring What Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers Want | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society | 2018
