„Sich aneinander orientieren“ – Feinfühligkeit und Engagement in der beziehungsorientierten Interaktion zwischen Menschen mit weit fortgeschrittener Demenz und Bezugspersonen. Eine mikroanalytische Videointeraktionsstudie

This qualitative micro-analytical video-interaction-study focuses on significant interactions between people with severe dementia and their caregivers. The study aims to increase the participation opportunities of people with dementia and the occupational satisfaction of nursing staff. Empirical knowledge is scarce on how people with severe dementia interact with their caregivers through body language and on a phonetic level and how they shape situations together.
This study is multi-perspective. Based on Focused Ethnography, videography is used in everyday interaction situations between people with dementia and their caregivers in the environment of a small scale living unit, while observation and conversations generate ethno-graphic contextual knowledge. Focused Interviews help to reconstruct the subjective significance of the interaction from the involved caregiver’s perspective. In the context of the video-interaction-analysis, two cases are evaluated micro-analytically consolidating the results through case internal and cross-case comparisons.
The result is an empirically supported theory of person-centred interaction, showing under what conditions a relationship-oriented interaction with people with dementia can succeed. The phenomenon of “orienting oneself to one another” has the attention as a central feature in a meaningful and mutual interaction between the person with dementia and the caregiver. The concept of “sensitivity” is highly relevant. This sensitivity of the caregiver is crucial for the engagement of the person with dementia and the success of their interaction.