Caring relationships with patients suffering from dementia — an interview study

Caring relationships with patients suffering from dementia — an interview study ¶The aim of the study reported in this paper was to describe and analyse care‐givers' caring relationships with patients suffering from dementia. The theoretical perspective was caring science. Data were collected through interviews with six care‐givers in a ward for patients with severe dementia. From the qualitative analysis of the narratives, the following factors emerged as important for the caring relationships: `touching', mutual `confirmation', and the care‐givers' `values in the caring culture' in the ward. We conclude that communication skills are very important in a ward where patients with severe dementia reside, and that there is always a need for formulating the basic values. Theoretical education and clinical supervision are examples of means to improve competence and skills.