Exploring truth and deception as strategies used within everyday communication by carers towards people with dementia

Paper one, the literature review, considered the use of truth and deception within the care of people with dementia. Nine papers were included within the review, which explored the experiences of professional carers, informal carers and people with dementia. The studies identified continuing dilemmas about the use of truth or deception strategies within dementia care, for instance, when truthful strategies were less effective, due to characteristics associated with dementia, carers resorted to deceptive strategies, like lies, which were seen as least acceptable. The findings highlight the emotional impact of deceptive strategies, the impact on relational dynamics and issues about the lack of formal guidance. The review recommends that more research be undertaken to understand more about the use of truth and deception strategies within dementia care, especially for informal carers, who were under-represented. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
Paper two, the empirical paper, explored how informal carers made decisions about using truth or deception within everyday communication at home with a person with dementia. The study adopted Grounded Theory methodology to create a theory about the processes underlying carers’ decision-making about using truth or deception. The findings revealed that in everyday life, carers’ use of truth or deception strategies depended upon a number of triggers, motivations and conditional judgments. The core concept of the theory was that decisions about using truth and deception were ultimately made in the moment. This study adds to research by proposing a theory of decision-making for informal dementia carers. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
Paper three, the executive summary, describes the main features of the study alongside recommendations for clinical practice and future research. It is more accessibly written so that it can be easily disseminated with a diverse audience, which includes informal and professional carers of people with dementia.