A qualitative systematic review of experiences of persons with dementia regarding transition to long-term care.

INTRODUCTION

The current qualitative systematic review identified and examined critically the literature on how persons with dementia experience transitions to long-term care. Results are intended to help develop guidelines for future care and research.

METHOD

A search was conducted of OvidSP, SCOPUS, Web of Science, ProQuest, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AgeLine and Informit databases. In total, 4705 articles were reviewed (published 1954-2018). A textual narrative approach was used to synthesise the findings of the included articles.

RESULTS

Seven articles met inclusion criteria (five using data collected from interviews with persons with dementia and two using reports from a proxy). Overall, the findings showed that transition to long-term care possesses varied meanings for persons with dementia, is often not the decision of the persons with dementia, and is a process throughout which social connections remain important.

DISCUSSION

Accounts of the experiences of persons with dementia regarding transitions from community to long-term care show that they and their families should be supported: with respect to their individual contexts, to share the positives and negatives of the transition experiences, to make decisions together, and to maintain old and establish new social connections.