Reliability and validity of the decision‐making scale on person with dementia

Background Recently, the decision‐making for patients is crucial. However, for person with dementia(PwD), it is often the family that decides the treatment. The study aims to develop a decision‐making support scale to determine concrete communications or support methods for PwD. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among care staff in geriatric facilities from February–March 2021. Results Total subjects were 138 persons, with 91 caregivers being the most common. Two scales were developed using factor analysis and Covariance Structure Analysis. The first is a decision‐making scale concerning PwD’s everyday life. The second decision‐making scale pertains to the final stages of the lives. The decision‐making scale on their everyday lives consisted of three factors. The first factor was called the formation and expression of PwD’s wish in their everyday life. The second factor was called the creation of attitudes relating to the formation and expression of wishes of PwD in their everyday lives. The third factor was called the formation of support for the realization of the wishes in their everyday lives. Similarly, the decision‐making support scale on the final stages also had three factors. The first was called support and cooperation among families and multi‐factorial staff in realizing the wishes of PwD during the final stages of their lives. The second factor was called the creation of communication for the formation and expression of the wishes of PwD on the final stages of their lives. Lastly, the third factor support abilities of decision‐making and sense of values in drawing wishes. These scales had a significant relation with attitude scale of decision‐making. Conclusion The decision‐making support scales have validity and reliability for PwD from everyday life to the final stages.