Perspectives on dementia education: a phenomenological investigation in institutional and community-based settings

Abstract

Introduction: This study explores the factors influencing the knowledge uptake of dementia education among health care workers (HCWs) in institutional and community-based settings. It also examines the current barriers and facilitators within dementia education programs. Methods: An interpretive phenomenological approach using in-depth interviews with a diverse sample HCWs (n=10) from institutional and community-based settings. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis was used to identify the main themes and sub-themes related to HCWs’ experiences with dementia education and working with people with dementia (PWD). Results: Four major themes were identified from the interview data, including learning styles of HCWs; facilitators to dementia education; barriers to dementia education and future recommendations. Conclusion: Findings will guide improvements in the training of HCWs by creating engaging and specialized needs-based dementia education programs to enhance knowledge uptake and application of knowledge in healthcare settings, and ultimately address the diverse needs of PWD.