Open AccessCan We Create a Therapeutic Relationship With Nursing Home Residents in the Later Stages of Alzheimer's Disease?
Author(s) -
Christine L. Williams,
Ruth M. Tappen
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.254
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1938-2413
pISSN - 0279-3695
DOI - 10.3928/0279-3695-19990301-16
Subject(s) - disease , psychology , therapeutic relationship , medicine , alzheimer's disease , therapeutic touch , gerontology , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , alternative medicine , pathology
1. Despite their entrance into advanced illness, the majority (83%) of participants in the study displayed evidence of having begun a therapeutic relationship with their assigned advanced practice nurse. 2. With one exception, those participants who did not evidence development of the relationship had severely limited speech, perseverative speech, or did not speak at all. 3. It is time to challenge the assumption that individuals in the middle and later stages of Alzheimer's disease are not good candidates for developing a therapeutic relationship.