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Individuals in the early stages of dementia often endure elevated levels of stress and anxiety, which can hinder their ability to adapt to the progression of dementia. To mitigate the negative impacts of dementia more effectively, it is necessary to explore the trajectory of the adaptation process of persons living with dementia. This study aimed to construct a theoretical framework for the adaptation process of individuals in the early stages of dementia. Participants were dyads of persons diagnosed with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment (≥ 60 years of age) and their primary family caregivers. This longitudinal study used a grounded theory approach to explore the adaptation trajectory changes in persons with mild dementia over a 3‐year period. Data were collected from dyads with face‐to‐face interviews. Analysis of the interview data revealed the core category was 'Coexisting with anomie: Progressive disappointment and striving', which was comprised of three categories: awareness of alienation, unsettled feelings, and restorative avoidance coping. Categories changed depending on levels of cognition and constituted progressive and cyclical dynamic processes. Four contextual factors positively or negatively influenced adaptation: level of insight about dementia, personal traits, caregiving style of the caregiver, and level of social interactions. These findings provide a new perspective about the mental health of persons in early‐stage dementia. Understanding coexisting with anomie and related influencing factors could facilitate the development of support interventions by mental health nursing staff, which could improve emotional safety, promote psychological well‐being, and increase quality of life for persons living with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Improving quality of life for community-dwelling older persons with dementia symptoms (PWDS) and family caregivers requires promoting dementia-friendly communities (DFC). However, little is known regarding older Taiwanese Aboriginal PWDS' experiences of living in the community. We explored these experiences for older Atayal PWDS and their families in Taiwan. Research Design and Methods This grounded theory research used in-depth interviews to explore the perspectives of older PWDS (n = 4), their family members (n = 3), and key persons (n = 10) in an Atayal community in northern Taiwan. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Participants were interviewed between January and May 2015. Results Participants' experiences were captured by the overarching concept of "low dementia awareness, high family-like ambience in the community." Despite the low/absent community awareness of dementia, older Atayal PWDS functioned as freely in the community as at home due to a family-like supportive environment. Aboriginal PWDS and their families also faced environmental challenges, e.g., environmental constraints and barriers to transportation access. Discussion and Implications Our results suggest that this Aboriginal community and culture offer important DFC components, and these strengths could be further studied to enhance DFC models elsewhere. Despite these strengths in supporting PWDS, environmental challenges to transportation access still cause difficulties for PWDS and their families and need improvement. The Atayal community's low dementia awareness suggests that services introduced must be culturally appropriate and nondisruptive to existing supportive helping systems. Our study can be a model for future studies to understand and identify PWDS' needs in Indigenous communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To identify dementia‐friendly communities' indicators and their current conditions in Taiwan from the perspectives of people with dementia and dementia‐family caregivers. Design: This qualitative study explored the opinions and experiences of people with dementia and dementia‐family caregivers regarding dementia‐friendly communities. Methods: Participants (16 people with dementia and 20 family caregivers) were recruited from neurological clinics, day care centres for people with dementia and support groups for family caregivers in the Taipei community from July ‐ October, 2016. Data were collected in face‐to‐face interviews, which were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed by Miles and Huberman's (1994) guidelines. Results: Similar indicators for dementia‐friendly communities were identified in Taiwan as in other countries, including dementia‐friendly care services, dementia‐friendly hospitals, dementia‐friendly community environment, dementia‐friendly transportation, dementia‐friendly stores and shops, dementia friendly people, integrated dementia‐related information and community contribution‐ and ‐involvement opportunities for people with dementia. However, Taiwanese people with dementia and family caregivers described no emphasis on the potential of people with dementia to contribute to developing dementia‐friendly communities and more top‐down expectations for the government's role. Conclusion: These indicators can be a guide for developing and evaluating dementia‐friendly communities in Taiwan. Differences between Taiwan and Western developed countries in indicators for dementia‐friendly communities can be further explored. Community nursing assessment, interventions, and evaluation based on these dementia‐friendly communities indicators can be further developed. Impact: This study developed indicators for dementia‐friendly communities in an Asian country. These indicators can be used as a guide for developing and evaluating dementia‐friendly communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To explore the experiences of nursing home nurses when they transfer residents from nursing homes to the emergency department in Taiwan. Background The transfer of residents between nursing homes and emergency departments challenges continuity of care. Understanding nursing home nurses' experiences during these transfers may help to improve residents' continuity of care. However, few empirical data are available on these nurses' transfer experiences worldwide, and none could be found in Asian countries. Design Qualitative descriptive study. Methods Data were collected from August 2012-June 2013 in audiotaped, individual, in-depth interviews with 25 nurses at five nursing homes in Taiwan. Interview transcripts were analysed by constant comparative analysis. Results Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that the core theme of nursing home nurses' transfer experience was discontinuity in nursing home to emergency department transitions. This core theme comprised three themes: discontinuity in family involvement, discontinuity in medical resources and expectations, and discontinuity in nurses' professional role. Conclusions Nursing home nurses need a working environment that is better connected to residents' family members and more immediate and/or easier access to acute care for residents. Communication between nurses and residents' family could be improved by using text messages or social media by mobile phones, which are widely used in Taiwan and worldwide. To improve access to acute care, we suggest developing a real-time telehealth transfer system tailored to the medical culture and policies of each country. This system should facilitate communication among nursing home staff, family members and hospital staff. Relevance to clinical practice Our findings on nurses' experiences during transfer of nursing home residents to the emergency department can be used to design more effective transfer policies such as telemedicine systems in Taiwan and other Asian countries or in those with large populations of Chinese immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines a study on the stress experienced by a primary family caregiver of a living-related liver transplant patient after the operation. Such study revealed that the stress of primary caregivers is relevant to the gap between expectations and primary care-giving experiences. The study identified various factors that cause caregiver stress including unstable sentiment on liver transplantation, distance from the healthcare professional, and concern on the protector role function.