The Spiritual Needs of Community-Dwelling Older People Living With Early-Stage Dementia-A Qualitative Study

Purpose To explore the spiritual needs of community-dwelling older people living with early-stage dementia. Design A descriptive qualitative research design with purposive sampling was used. Methods Ten older people who were receiving home care services from a mental hospital in central Taiwan were recruited. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted and content analysis was performed. Findings Four themes emerged that described the spiritual wishes and needs of older people with early-stage dementia: the wish to turn back time, the need to instill meaning into past experiences, the need to rely on faith-based strength, and the wish to have one's remaining life under control. The spiritual needs centered on a strong yearning to engage in a tug-of-war with time to reverse the impaired memory and independence. Conclusions This study provides insights into the spiritual needs of older people with early-stage dementia. They struggled to maintain a balance between independence and dependence, build a sense of self and value, seek guidance and support from religious faith, and retain control over their lives