Using medicine dispensers in home healthcare services for people with dementia.Benefits, Challenges and Strategies

Abstract

The focus of this study was to investigate the perceptions of healthcare workers in the use of medicine dispensers in the provision of home healthcare services to people with dementia. Specifically, the study put emphasis on the following research questions: (1) What are the benefits of using medicine dispensers to people with dementia? (2) What are the challenges faced by people with dementia and the operating nurses in the process of using medicine dispensers? (3) What are the strategies for improving on the use of medicine dispensers? The social model of disability which highlights the inconsistences of the medical model of disability was used as a theoretical framework of this study. This study was carried out in the District of St.Hanshaugen in Oslo Municipality. Six home healthcare workers who comprised of four registered nurses and two nursing aids were purposively selected for interviews. A qualitative design was used to gain a rich detailed understanding of how medicine dispensers are used in the provision of home healthcare services to people with dementia. During this study, conducting face to face interviews was a great concern due to Covid – 19 pandemic. However, this concern was reduced by strict adherence to infection control measures such as use of face masks and keeping distance between the interviewer and the informants. Findings of the study indicate that, the use of medicine dispensers has had some positive impact in medicine administration like reducing medication errors, improving patient’s independence and saving healthcare workers’ time. However, the study also revealed that there are some challenges encountered when using medicine dispensers like, technical problems and lack of enough training for healthcare workers. The findings also show equipping healthcare workers with enough training, evaluation of patients before they start using medicine dispensers and introducing medicine dispensers earlier before the dementia becomes severe, as some of the strategies identified.