The research group "Care Structures" focuses its scientific work on the analysis of care structures for people with dementia. By structure, we understand the presence and interaction of different elements that may be relevant to the organisation of a care arrangement.

Relevant elements include, among others, professional care services, family and social networks, as well as self-help and volunteer-based services, in addition to processes and contextual conditions that shape these arrangements. It is the aim of the research group "Care Structures" to analyse these structures and their interactions using scientific approaches. Where required, theoretical foundations are developed that guide the research process and enable a meaningful interpretation of empirical data. In this way, the appropriateness and feasibility of care interventions are supported.

Furthermore, within the framework of process evaluations, we examine how existing and newly developed care interventions can be implemented within the context of established care structures. In doing so, we involve relevant stakeholders as well as people with dementia in order to capture a comprehensive range of perspectives.

The objective of the research projects conducted by the research group "Care Structures" is to provide knowledge and evidence to further develop care structures. To this end, the research group "Care Structures" pursues two overarching project lines.

Stability of care arrangements for people living with dementia (SoCA)

Most people with dementia live at home and wish to stay there for as long as possible. However, home-based care is often complex and challenging: family carers assume central responsibility and, together with the person living with dementia as well as informal supporters and professional care providers, shape dynamic care arrangements. To support families in a targeted way, a sound, theory-based understanding of the psychosocial and structural dynamics of home care is essential. Within the project line “Stability of Care Arrangements for People Living with Dementia” (SoCA), researchers in the working group care structures investigate how home-based care can be designed to remain stable and sustainable over the long term. The work is grounded in SoCA-Dem Theory, which guides empirical studies, process evaluations, and implementation research and is continuously further developed. In the long term, SoCA aims to establish stability as a measurable outcome and to develop interventions that enable people with dementia and their families to continue living at home in ways that reflect their individual needs and preferences.

Dementia-Specific Long-Term Care in Nursing Homes (DeLonCa)

Residential long-term care is facing major challenges. Demographic change, the shortage of qualified nursing staff, increasing care needs among residents, and reforms of long-term care insurance are fundamentally transforming the framework conditions of care provision. At the same time, digitalisation and artificial intelligence are gaining increasing importance for the organisation and quality of nursing care.

One research focus of the research group "Care Structures" therefore lies in long-term residential care for people with dementia in residential long-term care facilities. The aim is to provide scientifically grounded contributions to the further development of this form of care. In this context, the research group primarily focuses on the development of competency profiles for professional caregivers in dementia care, as well as on issues related to the dementia-sensitive design of care facilities.

In addition, the DeLonCa project line examines regulatory frameworks of person-centred care in this setting. A central objective is to identify structural and organisational conditions that support high-quality, person-centred, and sustainable care.

The research group "Care Research" at the DZNE site in Witten is a multidisciplinary team comprising members from various research disciplines. Currently, researchers from nursing science, social sciences, and gerontology contribute the specific theoretical and methodological perspectives of their respective disciplines to the joint research on care structures for people with dementia and their family members, thereby enabling a multifaceted, interdisciplinary perspective on the research subject.

In addition, many members of the research group are trained nursing professionals and benefit from several years of practical experience in care provision.