Dementia care mapping: an approach to quality audit of services for people with dementia in two health districts.

The audit reported in this paper and submitted to the Psychiatry of Old Age Management group, assessed six units within each of two health districts in the UK. Using a nonparticipatory observation method in the units selected, the aim was to measure quality and the environment of care. Dependency levels of the clients/residents were also estimated to give a clearer picture of the setting and the care requirements. This was intended to establish a baseline for the units mapped and to enable care developments to be focussed upon intended outcomes. Results led to a number of observations related to the levels of interaction between staff and clients/residents, the need for a wider range of activities to promote person-centred care, and a suggested route to the improvement in quality of life for this vulnerable group of people. Assessment of dependency levels linked to the results of the mapping showed that high dependency does not lead automatically to a lower quality of person centred care.