Abstract
Dementia is a growing issue of concern worldwide and brings about many challenges of care. Health professionals face a dilemma in attempting to balance the upholding of personhood for the person with dementia and managing risk which allows person-centered care. positive risk-taking is a concept where the identification of potential benefit or harm associated with a certain risk is considered (Morgan, 1996). The intention of positive risk-taking is to encourage and support people in achieving a benefit or growth that otherwise may not have been considered due to potential harm (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2014).
The aim of this dissertation was to undertake a literature review to synthesise research literature conducted on positive risk-taking to identify any enablers and barriers that may exist in the potential implementation of positive a risk-taking approach for those persons affected by dementia. An integrative literature review was undertaken using Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) methodology.
Three major themes emerged from the data collected; risk versus independence; ethical dilemmas; construction of a definition of risk. The themes showed a diverse range of thoughts and opinions on risk, which demonstrated competing interests of the parties involved, a differing knowledge of risk and a drive for person centred care. Whilst there was the underlying drive to accept some risks the ambiguity in the definition of risk and the overall negativity used in the language, compounded the ethical dilemmas that were present. Health professionals, such as nurses felt that the ethical principles of do no harm and to do good is what ultimately should drive practice, not the fear of litigation. Together these themes discovered what could enable a positive risk-taking approach to dementia care, but clearly identified the barriers that would exist in the implementation of such an approach.