Delirium superimposed on dementia: mental health nurses’ experiences of providing care
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Delirium superimposed on dementia: mental health nurses’ experiences of providing care

Claire Anne Pryor Associate professor adult nursing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Juliana Thompson Associate lecturer, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To understand the complexity of the needs of people with delirium superimposed on dementia

  • To enhance your knowledge of second-generation activity theory

  • To recognise the consequences of the separation of physical health and mental healthcare

Background Delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) affects the physical, mental and cognitive well-being of the person. The separation of physical health and mental health means that the care of people with DSD is at odds with the multifaceted aetiology and presentation of the condition. There is a lack of research on DSD from a mental health perspective.

Aim To explore UK mental health nurses’ experiences of providing care for people with DSD.

Method Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven mental health nurses from one NHS trust in England. Participants’ experiences were considered through the lens of second-generation activity theory. Data were analysed using framework analysis.

Findings Six themes were identified: awareness of guidance and tools; guidance or tools as ‘paper exercises’; knowing the patient; the multidisciplinary team; care burden; and mental health versus physical health.

Conclusion When providing care for people with DSD, mental health nurses use their skills in knowing patients as individuals. However, this aspect of ‘knowing’ cannot be readily translated into the use of a numerical scoring tool. An integrated approach is required to support the care of people with DSD.

Mental Health Practice. 27, 4, 35-41. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2024.e1683

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@clairepryorDSD

Correspondence

claire.pryor@northumbria.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Pryor CA, Thompson J (2024) Delirium superimposed on dementia: mental health nurses’ experiences of providing care. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2024.e1683

Published online: 26 March 2024

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