Dementia buddying as a vehicle for person-centred care? The performance of a volunteer-led pilot on two hospital wards. Issue 3 (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Preston, Claire; Burch, Sarah
• Is Part Of: Journal of health services research & policy. Volume 23:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 139
• Page End: 147
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: dementia -- discipline: health policy -- discipline: social policy -- elderly -- person-centred care -- workplace culture; Medical care -- Periodicals; Medical policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 362.105
• DOI: 10.1177/1355819618767944
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-8196

Abstract

Objectives: To understand and explain whether a dementia buddies pilot introduced into two adjacent mental health hospital wards in England was achieving its aim of enhancing person-centred care. Methods: The research used a cultural lens to evaluate the dementia buddies pilot. It comprised 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews with staff, volunteers and carers in the two wards where the pilot was introduced. Results: The pilot's ability to deliver positive outcomes depended on its compatibility with the culture of the ward and it performed better in the ward where a person-centred culture of care already existed. In this ward, the pilot became a catalyst for improved experience among patients, carers and staff, whereas in the second ward, the pilot faced resistance from staff and achieved less. Conclusions: This finding underlines the benefit of focusing on workplace culture to understand the performance of volunteer-led initiatives. It also shows that existing ward culture is a determining factor in the capacity for dementia buddy schemes to act as vehicles for culture change.