| 208 Person-centered care can positively influence the quality of life (59). To provide person-centered care, healthcare professionals should build an authentic relationship with a person with dementia (57, 60). The provision of person-centered care is closely aligned with shared-decision making, this process of continuously exploring and respecting “what matters most” to a patient and centers around preferences (61). Shared decisionmaking in dementia care can be challenging for healthcare professionals. Decisions are not always explicitly jointly made by people with dementia, informal caregivers and healthcare professionals and people with dementia might not be aware of all options (62). Over time, eliciting the preferences of a person with dementia may become difficult as the capacity of a person with dementia to express preferences decreases as cognitive deficits become more pronounced. In addition, preference may change over time, and informal caregivers’ perceptions of the preference of a person with dementia may become more discrepant over time (63). In addition, as identified in Chapter 4 the experiences of support do not align between people with dementia and informal caregivers and they may hold preferences that do not align (64). Person-centered care, therefore, does not strictly apply towards the person with dementia alone but also includes informal caregivers and can impact informal caregivers’ satisfaction with care (65). As identified in Chapter 7, a perceived lack of person-centered care can contribute to unmet needs for informal caregivers. To briefly summarize, post-diagnostic support does not always meet the needs of people with dementia and informal caregivers. Adequate information provision through web-based resources and healthcare professionals can address some of the unmet information needs. Person-centered care and shared decision-making are important components in the provision of postdiagnostic support. The experience of caregiving Informal caregivers of people with dementia report positive and negative experiences with providing informal care. Positive effects can include personal growth, increased family bonding and a fulfilling purpose (66). Acceptance, choosing a positive attitude towards caregiving, commitment to the relationship, and drawing strength from past challenges or faith can foster a
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