ABSTRACT
A key development in dementia care in the UK has been the person-centred approach. The person-centred approach in dementia care is a philosophy of care that has its origins in humanism and the disability rights movement (Kitwood, 1988; Morton, 1999). The term 'person-centred' was first used in relation to people with dementia to emphasize the importance of focusing on the therapeutic potential of communication and relationships in promoting well-being and quality of life for people with dementia (Kitwood, 1988). It emphasizes the importance of focusing on the person as a human and social being rather than on the deficits and dysfunctions of the disease (Kitwood, 1993; Woods, 2001). It shares elements in common with both rehabilitative and palliative care approaches in that it seeks both to maximize retained abilities and to ensure maximum well-being and quality of life.
