The Use of Touch in Dementia Care: An Empirical Analysis

The research project will analyse the use of both necessary and unnecessary touch within current dementia care. A distinction has been made between 'necessary' touch, for example dressing a wound or examining a patient, and 'non-necessary' touch for example holding a patient's hand, putting a hand on their shoulder, or hugging them. 'Non-necessary' touch is regularly used by healthcare practitioners caring for patients with dementia but is rarely seen in other healthcare settings. However, the distinction between 'necessary' and 'unnecessary' touch may be an oversimplification as we do not understand what interactional purpose touch serves in this context. (Pilnick, 2023)