Why you should read this article:

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To enhance your understanding of dementia

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To appreciate that person-centred care can improve the experience of people with dementia

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To learn some practical person-centred approaches to care for people with dementia admitted to general hospital wards

Dementia is caused by conditions that result in a progressive loss of brain function. People with dementia often have complex multimorbidity which increases their risk of admission to hospital. However, care in acute hospitals is often not adapted to patients with dementia, who have reported negative experiences of their hospital stay from admission to discharge. Person-centred care has been shown to make a positive difference to how well people with dementia cope in hospital. This article discusses how nurses working on general hospital wards can enhance the experiences of people with dementia and improve their outcomes by providing person-centred care.