“It’s more mental exhausting being in that floor [a floor predominantly occupied by residents with
dementia]…makes you laugh and cry. If you don’t feel healthy, if you don’t feel well (…) even here if you
are not encouraged, valued and respected by the work you perform, it becomes harder. We should have
psychological support.” [Ana]
“Sometimes I show to others that I’m strong, but in other days I don’t feel so well… and if I'm not well I
can’t care of them as it should be (…)” [Teresa]
Antecedent information about the person’s background, lifestyle, preferences and current conditions was also
pointed out as being required, with a few participants recognizing that if this information was available they would
improve their relationship with the resident and the quality of care provision. Overall, it was through experience and
‘working time' that DCWs became more aware of the residents’ characteristics, preferences and values:
“I think we don’t know our residents. (…) We do not know what their preferences were before their
admission to this care home. (…) If we some more information about them perhaps things would be done
differently. We involve them all in the same kind of recreational tasks and only through time we realize what
they like and dislike. If we were informed from the moment of their admission about their story it would be
easier...we could start talking of what they liked”. [Luisa]
Similarly, participants were acutely aware that they lack information about dementia, dementia-related
behaviours and how to manage them. DCWs noted that such information would impact care provision and mitigate
feelings of uncertainty about their skills: