Try to Look Again: A Phenomenological Study of Recognising Humanness in People Living With Advanced Dementia.
Jesper Bøgmose, Benjamin Olivares Bøgeskov, Tom Dening and 1 others
PMID 40589176WHAT IT FOUND
Residents with advanced dementia expressed humanness through everyday actions, relationships, and attempts to make sense of their surroundings.
Behaviours such as aggression, repetition or apathy may be human expressions that need a second look.
Key findings
01People living with advanced dementia expressed humanness through everyday actions and utterances, including less apparent behaviours such as sudden aggression, repetitive behaviours, or apathy.
02Residents appeared to act in the present in ways tied to their past, supporting how they saw themselves and wanted to be seen.
03When residents could make sense of what was happening, they tended to become more at ease and livelier; when it was not meaningful or honest, they were likely to walk away, remain passive, or avoid interaction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It was conducted in nursing homes in one country, so the findings may not transfer to other care settings. The study described experience and interpretation; it did not test an intervention or measure clinical outcomes. The authors say their own preconceptions cannot be completely set aside, and the anecdotes may create distance from residents' immediate experiences.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that a person-centred approach improves dementia care outcomes. The study describes residents' expressions through observation and staff interviews; it did not test an intervention or measure effects.