TABLE 1.

The VIPS model for person-centered dementia care (adapted from Brooker and Latham 2016)

VIPS Component	Key Principles	Examples of Hearing healthcare Practice
V – Valuing people with dementia and those who care for them	• Valuing people with dementia, regardless of their level of cognitive impairment • Promoting the rights and citizenship of people with dementia and their families/supporters. • Rooting out the practice that might discriminate against people with dementia.	• Ensuring there is access to hearing care services to meet hearing needs regardless of the level of cognitive impairment • Staff training/awareness to promote knowledge and understanding of dementia • Supporting staff to make positive changes to practice to meet the needs of people with dementia
I – Seeing the individuality of people living with dementia	• No two people with dementia are alike. • ‘One-size-fits-all’ approaches and interventions will not work for everyone	• Practices that are flexible and draw on knowledge and understanding of the person to find means of “connecting” and building trust and rapport, using preferred modes of communication and interaction. • Assessment and rehabilitation approaches tailored to individual needs.
P – Looking at the world from the perspective of the person	• An individual’s perception of their current situation and their immediate surroundings may be very different from how others perceive it. • Impairments to memory and perception may mean the person misinterprets what is happening.	• Recognize that a hearing assessment may be perceived as something confusing and frightening by the person with dementia. • Be attentive to the person’s words as well as their nonverbal communication including behaviors that may communicate a need or emotion. • Consider the physical environment and how it may be perceived by and impact the person with dementia.
S – A social environment that supports relationships and interactions that promote well-being.	• How we enable the person with dementia to feel safe, respected, and included. • Meeting of social and psychological needs as well as physical needs.	• Developing skills in communication to build trusting relationships. • Aiming for familiarity and emotional support by enabling the presence of a family member/important other at appointments/assessments where the person with dementia agrees. • Always addressing and involving the person with dementia even where communication is difficult and a carer/significant other is present.