‘Firstly, I’m not treated like a fool.’—the perspective of people with dementia on a dementia-friendly hospital

Background Dementia-friendly hospitals are increasingly discussed in healthcare, politics, research and society as a way to improve hospital stays for people with dementia. However, the perspective of people with dementia is often underrepresented, and current definitions and concepts are primarily based on the expertise of healthcare professionals. Objectives To identify characteristics of a dementia-friendly hospital from the perspective of people with dementia. Methods A qualitative design embedded in a case study was used. We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with people with dementia during their hospital stay. The interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with an inductive approach. In our study, we adopted a participatory approach and actively involved people with dementia and other stakeholders in the development of the interview guide and in the data analysis. Results The participants expect more than what’s necessary from a dementia-friendly hospital, as presented by eight characteristics identified: (i) The most important thing is how we treat each other; (ii) Someone cares about ME; (iii) No hully gully! I want professional care; (iv) Focusing on my goals; (v) LOOK! I’ve still got capabilities; (vi) Skipping Groundhog Day; (vii) A bit of both: mingle and single, and (viii) Recognising what relatives mean to me. Conclusion Our results highlight the importance of involving people with dementia in the development of dementia-friendly hospitals as only they have the lived experience and a different perspective from that of healthcare professionals.