Reciprocal struggling in person transfer tasks – Caregivers’ experiences in dementia care

Purpose: This study describes caregivers’ experiences of person transfer situations involving people with dementia. Method: Qualitative focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 10 caregivers; two groups with five persons each, including two men and eight women. The resulting data were extracted and condensed into meaning units and codes using content analysis. Findings: One main theme was formulated that represents the caregivers’ experiences of person transfer situations involving people with dementia: “Reciprocal struggle in person transfer tasks”. Five categories were formulated: “Becoming familiar and making contact”, “Risking one's own body to protect the resident from injury”, “Focused yet aware of the surroundings”, “Identifying needs to facilitate the person transfer” and “Struggling to be understood”. Conclusion: Person transfer situations involving people with dementia are subject to sudden changes. The ongoing challenge is to ensure a dynamic approach that can be adapted to the needs of the person with dementia at any given time. There is a need for more studies within the field about care and rehabilitation among people with dementia. We suggest that assessment of person transfer situations involving people with dementia and their caregivers is an important issue for further investigation and physiotherapeutic interventions.