The perceptions of nurses regarding the communication and cognition of persons with mild Alzheimer’s dementia, within the Tygerberg district of Cape Town

Date
2017-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : This South African study aimed to determine the perceptions of a group of nurses regarding the care of mild Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), with specific reference to the communication and cognitive abilities of these patients. A convenience sample, comprising of nurses, caring for persons with mild AD, was recruited, within five homes for the elderly in the Tygerberg district, within the Cape Town area, Western Cape. A qualitative research approach was used within the phenomenological tradition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 nurses. The data collected from the interviews was analysed qualitatively, using thematic analysis, with the components of inductive analysis, latent themes and constructionist epistemology. The findings of this study indicate that there are minimal funds available for the care of senior citizens, including persons with AD, in South Africa. Minimal funding for governmental homes for the elderly leads to a few nurses often being the only health care professionals employed at these homes. The findings of this study illustrate that the majority of these nurses never received formal training with regards to AD care. These nurses were aware of a range of behavioural changes persons with AD experience due to motor, perceptual, cognitive and communicative deterioration and personality changes. They discussed both, the benefits and the challenges that these behavioural changes created, as well as coping strategies helping them overcome these challenges. It became evident that whilst nurses were aiming to provide the best care to the persons with mild AD, their focus of care was mainly on the physical aspects of care. Even though the nursing staff, in these homes, is well positioned to provide intervention to persons with mild AD in terms of their communication and cognition, they seemed to have had limited to no exposure to such interventions. The findings of this study, highlight the need for the development, presentation and administration of cognitive and communicative training interventions, aimed at the specific needs of the nurses working in governmental homes in the Tygerberg district.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie Suid-Afrikaanse studie was gemik om die persepsies van 'n groep van verpleegsters met betrekking tot die behandeling van Alzheimer se demensie (AD), en spesifiek die kommunikasie en kognitiewe vermoëns van hierdie pasiënte, te bepaal. ʼn Gerieflikheidsteekproef, uit verpleegsters verantwoordelik vir die versorging van persone met geringe AD, was in vyf tehuis vir bejaardes, in die Tygerberg distrik, in Kaapstad, Wes-Kaap, gewerf. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering was binne die fenomenologiese tradisie gebruik. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude was gevoer. Die data is kwalitatief ontleed, met behulp van tematiese analise. Die komponente van induktiewe ontleding, latente temas en konstruksionistiese epistemologie was gebruik. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie en vorige literatuur dui aan, dat daar minimale fondse beskikbaar is, in Suid-Afrika, vir die versorging van bejaardes, insluitend persone met AD. Minimale fondse vir staat tehuise vir bejaardes veroorsaak dat 'n paar verpleegsters dikwels die enigste gesondheidswerkers in die tehuise is. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie toon dat die meerderheid van die verpleegsters nooit formele opleiding oor AD versorging ontvang het nie. Verpleegsters was bewus van die veelvuldige gedragsveranderinge van persone met AD as gevolg van motoriese, perseptuele, kognitiewe en kommunikatiewe agteruitgang en persoonlikheidsveranderinge. Hierdie gedragsveranderinge was deur die verpleegpersoneel as beide, voordelig en terselfdertyd uitdagend geïnterpreteer. Verpleegsters het ook hanteringstrategieë genoem, wat hulle gehelp het om hierdie uitdagings te oorkom. Dit het duidelik geword dat terwyl verpleegsters graag die beste sorg wou gee aan persone met geringe AD, was hulle fokus hoofsaaklik op die fisiese versorging van hierdie pasiënte. Selfs al is die verpleegspersoneel in hierdie tehuise vir bejaardes goed geposisioneer om kommunikatiewe en kognitiewe stimulasie aan persone met geringe AD te bied, lyk dit asof hulle beperkte tot geen blootstelling aan sulke stimuleringsprogramme gehad het nie. Deur die bevindinge van hierdie studie, word dit duidelik dat die persepsies van die verpleegsters die ontwikkeling, aanbieding en administrasie van kognitiewe en kommunikatiewe opleidingsintervensies, gemik op die verpleegsters in publieke tehuise vir bejaardes in Tygerberg, ondersteun.
Description
Thesis (MSL&HT)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease -- Patients -- South Africa, Nurses -- Attitudes -- South Africa, Alzheimer's disease -- Patients -- Rehabilitation, Cognition in old age, UCTD
Citation