For many years before the birth of the NHS ‘senile’ dementia was believed to be an inevitable part of ageing, and as nothing could be done most people were described as ‘suffering’ with dementia and when they were unable to be cared for at home they spent their remaining years suffering often in institutional care.
Over the last 50 years the understanding of dementia and attitude towards people with dementia has slowly been challenged, and the care of some of our most vulnerable adults has changed and improved with a greater emphasis on living well with dementia.
A big step forward came in the late 1990s, which saw a move towards person-centred care (Kitwood, 1993) and ‘personhood’ (Kitwood, 1997), encouraging people to be seen as individuals with specific needs and wants.