Psychological safety for persons with dementia in the hospital

A hospital admission is a stressful experience for a person with dementia. Not understanding what is happening around them or why, the admission can feel like a threatening situation. In response, the person with dementia may become anxious, angry, start shouting, and above all attempt to escape the situation by wandering off, pulling out catheters, or refusing care. In the interest of physical safety, sedative medication is therefore often prescribed or the person’s freedom of movement is physically restricted. In doing so, healthcare providers may overlook the underlying need of people with dementia: the need to feel psychologically safe and at ease. With this research, we aim—together with healthcare professionals and the relatives of people with dementia—to explore ways to provide better, and safe‑feeling, dementia care for everyone, even when hospital admission is unavoidable.