Moving beyond patient and client approaches: Mobilizing ‘authentic partnerships’ in dementia care, support and services

Abstract

In the 1940s, Carl Rogers introduced the notion of a client-centred or person-centred approach, originally called the ‘non-directive approach’. Over the past several decades, however, we have lost sight of the true intent behind Roger's relational approach, settling instead on well-intended but often paternalistic approaches that place patients or clients at the centre of care, but rarely, if ever, actively involve them in decision-making. This is no more apparent than in the case of persons living with Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias who, due to the stigma and misunderstanding surrounding dementia, are often assumed to lack the capacity to be involved in their own care and the care of others. Drawing on our experience working directly with persons with dementia, family members and professionals, and systematic research on a number of mutual partnership initiatives, the purpose of this paper is to present an alternative approach, one that views persons with dementia as equal partners in the context of dementia care, support and formal services.