Results
Seven categories have emerged and were clustered into two key-themes: inability to provide the ideal care and
manage residents’ behaviours. Five subthemes - under time pressure and workload; lack of emotional support; lack
of knowledge about residents’ profile; lack of information about dementia and difficulties in communicate – were
linked to inability to provide the ideal care. Emotional and physical exhaustion were related to manage residents’
behaviour. Results will be discussed regarding the key-themes and supported by reference to illustrative extracts
from the data. All names have been changed to protect participants’ anonymity.
3.1. Failure to provide the ideal care
A major difficulty faced by DCWs was related to the inability to perform the care they wished to perform: less
instrumental and more individualized. According to several participants, this was a consequence of the time pressure
and workload that emerge from the ‘increased number of dependent residents’ and the ‘shortage of staff’. The
DCWs wished to be able to foster the residents’ autonomy, communicate and promote their active participation
during care routines, and feel frustrated when they had no opportunity to achieve this. Some interviewees noted that
the morning care, contemplating basic daily activities (e.g., bathing or dressing), was the most difficult moment ‘to
be completely committed to the resident’.
“I regret not having more time to talk with them [residents with dementia]. We take care for their hygiene,