ORCID

Abstract

Recent figures indicate that there are just over 441,000 people living in long-term residential care homes across the United Kingdom (UK) (Berg, 2025), of which 70% are living with dementia or a severe cognitive impairment (Alzheimer’s Society, 2024). The percentage of people living in permanent residential aged care with dementia in Australia is slightly lower (54%) but still represents most residents and is rising (AIHW, 2025; Dementia Australia, 2025).This article is based on the findings and reflections of a qualitative multiple-case study exploring person-centred care across seven residential care homes in the United Kingdom (UK; Hodge et al., 2023). Findings were drawn from sixty-one interviews with health and care professionals, family, friends, and residents. Non-participant observations also took place over a period of 401.5 hours. Our study findings echo a long-established understanding that the provision of high-quality person-centred care in long-term residential care settings, particularly for people living with dementia, depends on approaches that appreciate the centrality of relationships (Kitwood, 1997; McCormack, 2004; McCormack & McCance, 2010). The emergence and growth of relationship-centred care has arisen from concerns that person-centred care focuses too closely on the individual, thereby neglecting the needs of the wider care community (Nolan et al., 2008; Ryan et al., 2008). This is especially important to consider in long-term residential care settings, where caring relationships not only exist within the settings themselves between care staff and residents, but extend “beyond the care home and reach into outside health and care support networks” (Hodge et al., 2024 p. 8). This article focuses on three of the themes generated from our study.

Publication Date

2026-04-01

Publication Title

Australian Journal of Dementia Care

Volume

15

Issue

2

Deposit Date

2026-04-30

First Page

14

Last Page

15

Download

Share

COinS