Affirming identity and control for people with dementia through person-centred approaches to support

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five people with dementia. Questions concerned the experience of being diagnosed, experience of support services and their opinion of alternative support options. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Suggested guidance for psychotherapists working with people with dementia included seeing the whole person rather than the person defined in terms of their dementia, with an emphasis on a holistic and broad view. Personal and social factors are just as important as the biological factors in our understanding and treatment of people with illnesses. The way a person reacts to and experiences the symptoms of dementia, as well as their treatment by ‘healthy others’ and their reaction to this treatment, are all important factors in the experienceof living with dementia