CDP Person-Centered Care Approaches 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident with dementia repeatedly asks to go home during afternoon hours. What is the best person-centered response?
- Tell her she cannot leave for safety reasons
- Explore the emotion behind the request and redirect with a meaningful activity (Correct answer)
- Remind her that her family chose this facility
- Lock the door and distract her with television
Correct answer: Explore the emotion behind the request and redirect with a meaningful activity
Person-centered care addresses the underlying feeling (longing, insecurity) rather than correcting the factual error.
Question 2: Which element is foundational to the Kitwood model of personhood in dementia care?
- Cognitive ability as the measure of selfhood
- The preservation of identity, love, and inclusion despite cognitive decline (Correct answer)
- Medical management of behavioral symptoms
- Family decision-making authority over the person
Correct answer: The preservation of identity, love, and inclusion despite cognitive decline
Tom Kitwood argued that personhood is maintained through relationships and must be actively upheld by caregivers regardless of cognitive status.
Question 3: A care team wants to learn about a new resident's life history. What is the PRIMARY purpose of gathering this information in person-centered dementia care?
- To complete mandatory admissions paperwork
- To identify risk factors for behavioral issues
- To tailor care interactions and activities to the individual's values and preferences (Correct answer)
- To train staff on cultural sensitivity
Correct answer: To tailor care interactions and activities to the individual's values and preferences
Life history information enables caregivers to connect with the person's unique identity and deliver individualized, meaningful care.
Question 4: Which approach best exemplifies 'meeting in the person's reality' during a dementia care interaction?
- Correcting the person when they believe a deceased spouse is still alive
- Entering the person's emotional and experiential world without reinforcing harmful delusions (Correct answer)
- Providing factual orientation cues every 30 minutes
- Avoiding all conversation about past events
Correct answer: Entering the person's emotional and experiential world without reinforcing harmful delusions
Meeting in the person's reality means joining their experience with empathy while protecting wellbeing, rather than confronting or correcting.
Question 5: A certified dementia practitioner notices a resident becomes anxious every time a bath is initiated. What is the person-centered first step?
- Document the behavior and report to the physician for medication review
- Assess whether the bathing routine aligns with the resident's lifelong preferences and modify accordingly (Correct answer)
- Restrain the resident to complete necessary hygiene tasks
- Skip bathing until family members are present
Correct answer: Assess whether the bathing routine aligns with the resident's lifelong preferences and modify accordingly
Person-centered care investigates the individual's history with bathing (shower vs. tub, time of day, modesty needs) before attempting any intervention.
Question 6: The DICE approach in dementia care stands for:
- Diagnose, Intervene, Communicate, Evaluate
- Describe, Investigate, Create, Evaluate (Correct answer)
- Document, Identify, Care plan, Execute
- Define, Interpret, Counsel, Educate
Correct answer: Describe, Investigate, Create, Evaluate
DICE (Describe, Investigate, Create, Evaluate) is a structured, person-centered method for assessing and addressing behavioral symptoms in dementia.
Question 7: Which statement best reflects the concept of 'malignant social psychology' as described by Tom Kitwood?
- Dementia is caused by social isolation
- Care practices that undermine personhood, such as infantilization and ignoring, harm the person with dementia (Correct answer)
- Family conflict accelerates cognitive decline
- Dementia symptoms worsen in group settings
Correct answer: Care practices that undermine personhood, such as infantilization and ignoring, harm the person with dementia
Kitwood identified 17 depersonalizing interactions (e.g., treachery, disempowerment, stigmatization) that erode wellbeing and dignity in people with dementia.
CDP Person-Centered Care Approaches 2
A resident with dementia repeatedly asks to go home during afternoon hours.
What is the best person-centered response?