Supporting person-centred care for people with dementia in hospital settings: co-designing and testing the feasibility of an intervention for use during constant observation activities

Hospital staff report difficulty using person-centred care during routine care activities despite increased access to training and other resources. Managing patient safety, such as reducing a person's risk of harm from falls, is a priority for hospitals and staff. A common activity used to address risk of harm in people with dementia is constant observation. Constant observation involves allocating of a member of staff to one patient or a small group of patients in one area of a hospital ward. The quality of care during this activity varies.
The aim of this study is to design and test the feasibility and acceptability of an
intervention that supports person-centred care for people with dementia during constant observation activities in hospitals. We will:
1. Map the use of constant observation for people with dementia in three hospitals
2. Work with hospital staff and people affected by dementia to develop an intervention that facilitates person-centred constant observation
3. Test the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention
4. Hold a consensus event to agree key features of the intervention
The study will result in the development of an intervention that promotes person-centred care for people with dementia and improves dementia care
skills amongst staff. Although the focus is on those requiring constant
observation, the ambition is for person-centred care to become embedded in ward culture.