PhD Defence Marc Haufe

Marc Haufe defends his PhD thesis entitled Between Structure and Mystery - Exploring the spiritual dimension of mild to moderate dementia care on 18 December.

Promotor: Carlo Leget

Summary

People with dementia experience many challenges in terms of meaning because of the disease. Especially in the first half of the disease process, they can struggle with this self-consciously. They therefore benefit from good support. There are now too few models and tools in science and practice that can help professionals carry out this kind of care. 

As part of a ZonMW project, we researched how this care can be designed so that it provides practical insights and tools for healthcare professionals. Relevant insights were gained through a survey and literature review. These insights were then further developed with dementia professionals through qualitative (participatory) research. 

Outcomes of the study offer dementia professionals detailed insight into how the daily practice of spiritual care can be shaped using 3 models:

• The Diamond Model for Dementia provides tools for ongoing conversation support for perceived spiritual tensions.
• The Topography of spiritual sources of strength provides tools to help people connect with what gives them strength.
• The Panorama of spiritual care for people with mild to moderate dementia provides an integrated overview of how these models work together.

Contact person	pedel Yamit Gutman
Location	Geertekerk, Utrecht
Date	18/12/2024
Opening hours	starts 15 hours