The patient as ‘teacher’: learning in the care of elderly persons with dementia

In 1996 HM Queen Silvia of Sweden started a non-governmental education programme with an integrated day-care unit devoted to elderly persons with dementia. A total of 18 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) from various parts of Sweden took part in the year theoretical and practical education in dementia care. The purpose was to develop specialized skills in the particular field and more generally to develop mentor capabilities. The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of the trainees, gained from following a single patient during their entire practical training period in the school’s integrated day-care unit. The study was based on a combination of participant observations, interviews, diaries and recorded data and used an ethnographic approach. The results showed that themes such as ‘personal guide’, ‘creating a relationship’, ‘reducing the working pace’ and ‘investigative mealtimes’ were of major importance for the trainees’ learning. In their role as ‘personal guides’, the trainees fell into six categories with different educational focuses. In their relationships with the patients, the trainees were able to form their own impressions of the patients’ present and former lives. By training their ability to adapt the pace at which they worked, they had time to observe symptoms and be aware of the patients’ needs, as well as the patients’ signs of appreciation. The results also indicated that ‘investigative mealtimes’ can be an important element in the trainee’s education in dementia care.