From person-centered care to relational centered care

The expectations of the roles of spouses, partners, family, and friends in the care of people with dementia have shifted across the past decades. Researchers and clinicians used to focus on biomedical symptoms, and now incorporate psychosocial determinants of health. Consequently, more attention has been given to the influence that social relationships have on the well-being of people with dementia. Relational-focused, or family-centered care relies on recognizing interactions between persons with dementia and their family and caregivers. These interactions hold the key to giving better care and developing improved practice and policy.