The meaning of long-term caregiving for patients with frontal lobe dementia

Nursing staff that work with patients with frontal lobe dementia (FLD) experience challenges that may lead to physical and psychiatric distress. The aim of this study was to capture the feelings, experiences, and reflections of the health staff regarding interactions with and caring for patients with FLD and to highlight what it means for health staff to care for patients with FLD through their daily work. This is a qualitative study with a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Ten health staff members who work with patients with FLD were interviewed using semistructered interviews. The focus during the interview was the experiences of the staff through their everyday work. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim. The material was analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. The result of the study identifies three themes that highlight the meaning of caregiving for patients with FLD, that is, being aware of the relationship with the patients, being insecure, and being safe. The patients’ unpredictable behaviour puts the relationship between the staff and the patients on trial. It is essential in caregiving to see the human behind the disease and the behaviour. The interest of finding new solutions in the caregiving is awakened through the relation with the patients, through reflections with colleagues, external guidance and by support from the staff leader.