A qualitative comparison of care partner experiences supporting self-care of people living with mild cognitive impairment versus mild dementia: Insights from an oral hygiene intervention

Purpose/aims Care partners play a crucial role in supporting people living with mild cognitive impairment (PLwMCI) and mild dementia (PLwMD) in daily tasks and health behaviors. Care partners' experiences may vary depending on the care recipient's degree of cognitive decline. Our objective was to compare the challenges and strategies of care partners supporting PLwMCI versus PLwMD. Methods Guided by the Adaptive Leadership Framework for Chronic Illness, we conducted a qualitative directed content analysis of secondary data from audio recordings of coaching sessions led by a nurse in a pilot of an oral hygiene intervention designed to teach care partners skills to lead behavior change in PLwMCI and PLwMD. Results Notable differences included that care partners of PLwMCI expressed concerns about future cognitive decline and engaged in more equal and collaborative communication. In contrast, care partners of PLwMD experienced greater distress when balancing the PLwMD’s autonomy with the efficiency of care, and used more tactile cues and directive communication to facilitate new routines. Conclusions/implications These findings suggest that tailoring interventions to the level of cognitive impairment may enhance the care partners’ effectiveness in supporting health behavior change for PLwMCI and PLwMD.