A mapper’s reflection on Dementia Care Mapping with older residents living in a nursing home

Aim and objective.  This paper explores reflection stemming from a Dementia Care Mapper’s own learning and development concerning person-centred care with older residents living in a dementia specific nursing home. Background.  Dementia Care Mapping has been employed in few Australian residential care facilities to promote person-centred care and the well-being of residents. Reflection has also been used selectively in some practices to improve and evaluate the care process. However, contemporary nursing literature has failed to highlight the usefulness of applying reflection following Dementia Care Mapping with older residents. Method.  The mapper’s reflections arose from the Dementia Care Mapping observation of five older residents and writing a daily reflective journal. Findings.  From the reflection, a dominant major theme emerged named as the Learning Experience from Mapping Residents with two sub-themes entitled Mapper’s Identification of Resident’s Unique Needs and Mapper’s Empowerment of Clinicians. Dementia Care Mapping recommendations from the mapper’s experience highlighted effective approaches to conducting Dementia Care Mapping in residential care facilities. Conclusions.  The valuable process of reflection to Dementia Care Mapping provided the mapper with clinical insights. Further from the mapper’s final reflection, a poem entitled Come Back Mind, Come Back to Me was conceived and penned. Relevance to clinical practice.  The mapper’s engagement in ongoing reflection incorporated with Dementia Care Mapping has the potential to promote best practice for the care of older people living in aged care facilities.