DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
DEMENTIA
Awareness
by Gaël Romanet ... doing this dementia awareness was very exciting! and will help me in my work place to have a better understanding about my dementia residents...
Page 1 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care
Unit DEM 201
Tutor Name: Akua Quao
Thursday 12th September 2013
Release Date: 21/07/2013 03:33
Assignment task – DEM 201 Dementia awareness
In your work role: Introduction In your work role in health and social care you will be required to have knowledge of what dementia is, the different forms of dementia and how others can have an impact on the individual with dementia. Others like care workers, colleagues, managers, social worker, occupational therapist, GP, speech and language therapist, physiotherapist, pharmacist, nurse, psychologist, admiral nurses, independent mental capacity advocate, community psychiatric nurse, dementia care advisors, advocate and support groups. Page 2 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Task ①
• Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’ • Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia • Explains why depression, delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Task ②
• Outlines the medical model of dementia • Outlines the social model of dementia • Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability
Task ③
• Lists the common causes of dementia • Describes the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia • Outlines the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia • Identifies prevalence rates for different types of dementia Task ④
• Describe how two different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability • Outlines the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an individual with dementia
Assignment task – DEM 201 Answers Reference for Assignment task – DEM 201 Dementia awareness The Essentials Workbook1 Person First... dementia second by Bupa
Page 3 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Task ①
• Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’ With my own words, dementia is the less of everything you know. Dementia are the signs and symptoms caused as a result of specific diseases such as Alzheimer’s or a stroke that involve the damaging of brain cells; as the brain cells die the person with a dementia will lose their ability to do things they are used to doing as different parts of the brain are damaged. Dementia affects both older and younger people and the decline in the person will get worse as more brain cells are damaged or die.
Page 4 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Different types of dementia There are many different types of dementia. Some are more common than others.
The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, followed by vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and fronto-temporal dementia. More about Alzheimer’s disease: http://www.alz.uci.edu/alzheimers-disease/alzheimersdisease-overview/ Sometimes people may be diagnosed as having a ‘mixed pathology’ this means they have more than one type of dementia; usually Alzheimer’s disease with vascular dementia. There are also what are called ‘secondary’ dementias that are treatable and often reversible. These are caused by health problems that affect how the brain works, such as hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency and diabetes.
Page 5 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
• Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia The main areas of the brain that are affected by dementia in terms of causing difficulties with their functions are: 1) Frontal Lobe – this is the part of the brain that controls behaviour, movement, personality and the interpretation of what is around us 2) Parietal Lobe – this is the part of the brain that controls the language we use, special awareness and recognition of places, objects and people 3) Occipital Lobe – this is the part of the brain that controls eyesight and our ability to see 4) Temporal Lobe – this is the part of the brain that controls our speech, hearing and memory
How our brain works Our brain is responsible for controlling everything we do from basic functions such as our heart beating and breathing, to feeling emotions, speaking, remembering and doing. Your brain is made up of billions of cells. Each cell sends messages to many other cells. Most of the cells in the brain are called neurons. Neurons communicate with each other by passing an electrical signal down their arms (or axons) which in turn leads to a release of chemical at the fingertips.
Page 6 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
At the end of the arm they pass across a gap (called a synapse) by shooting out special chemicals (called neurotransmitters) into the arm of another neuron.
Different neurons produce different chemicals – some names of neurotransmitters you may have heard of are dopamine and serotonin. The next neuron then sends the message on to more neurons. In this way the message is passed around the brain. Messages are passed from the brain into and out of the body through the brain stem which joins onto the spinal cord.
The effects of dementia on the brain In dementia the ability of neurons to transmit messages to each other is affected. This can be because neurons die and so no longer transmit messages or because the neuron has problems producing the chemicals it needs to get across the gap to stimulate the next neuron. Example: Imagine the message being passed around the brain is like a person (Billy) who is in a car driving from home to work. Each street Billy drives down represents an axon.
Page 7 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Unfortunately today the traffic lights on the main road are not working properly. The traffic is very slow because the lights keep sticking on red. For a person living with dementia the neurons may not work properly and as a result transmit the messages more slowly, as they struggle to produce the chemicals they need, to pass the message onto the next neuron.
The journey is made worse by a fallen tree which has blocked another road, which has now been closed. Billy has to follow a diversion to take him around the closed road. Where a neuron dies the message has to take a diversion around it via other neurons, which takes longer than the more direct route.
Eventually Billy gets to work. However, it has taken him a lot longer than normal and he is feeling tired and stressed out. A person living with dementia may have this kind of journey to work many times every day as they cope with living with a brain that has many faulty traffic lights and diversions. It is not surprising they may become tired and feel stressed by this experience.
Page 8 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Which parts of the brain do what? Each part of our brain is responsible for different things that we do. Dementia causes the brain to not work properly. This affects a person’s ability to do things which most of us take for granted.
The following diagram shows the different parts of the brain and their role.
Living with dementia: the effects of damage to the brain When different structures of the brain stop working properly, this can cause impairments to be experienced.
Page 9 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Frontal lobe: Repetitive actions, poor concentration, reduced ability to plan and to prioritise or sequence events. Examples: A person may struggle with: -
putting on clothes in the right order so they may put their underwear on over their outer clothing
-
being able to focus on one task for any length of time
-
being able to start activities or conversations with others
Loss of care and concern for others, impulsive behaviour, rudeness and rule breaking, openly sexual behaviour and aggression Examples: A person may: -
swear or say cruel or rude things
-
touch themselves or others in a sexual manner
-
hit out or shout at others unexpectedly or in a way that is not in proportion to the situation they are in
-
find relationships with others break down and they may become socially isolated or that others avoid them
Parietal lobe: Difficulties with skilled actions such as using cutlery or getting dressed, problems scanning the environment and picking out people or objects, poor awareness of body position, problems with reading, writing, numbers or visual neglect (not being able to see part of the world around them). Examples: A person may: -
have problems finding the door, toilet or a chair when entering or leaving a room
Page 10 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
-
have problems with standing up, sitting down or moving around, and have a tendency to fall or trip (and then become afraid of falling)
-
be unable to read or write or comprehend numbers
-
only be able to pay attention to half of their world so they may only eat half of a plate of food or only shave one side of their face
Occipital lobe: Visual blind spots, problems with seeing things such as the edges of objects or the shape of objects, problems seeing or telling colours apart, problems seeing movement and problems with seeing and judging depth. Examples: A person may: -
see places within their vision but are unable to see objects or people within them
-
have difficulties picking out objects or seeing the edges of tables, chairs and this may cause them to miss the table when putting down a cup or the chair when going to sit down
-
have problems seeing or picking out objects against a background of a similar colour or tone eg white toilet seat against a white toilet and white flooring
-
have problems sitting down, going up or down stairs or moving between rooms where there is a change in floor colour or texture as this can be seen to be a change in depth
-
see patterned carpets as being ‘alive’ with creatures or misinterpret patterns as objects to pick up
Temporal lobe: Problems with language such as word finding and understanding other people, problems recognising objects, people and places and memory loss. Examples: Page 11 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
A person may: -
be unable to find the right word when talking
-
have difficulty understanding other people, particularly when speech is fast or contains long and complex instructions
-
not be able to recognise what particular objects are for eg a knife or a fork
-
no longer recognise who people are, including close relatives and friends
-
forget recent and also past events
Brain stem: Problems with basic life support functions such as swallowing and breathing. Examples: A person may: -
have problems eating and swallowing solid foods and require a pureed diet
-
have problems drinking and require thickened liquids to drink
-
have problems with choking, as food and drink may be inhaled due to the brain not being able to regulate properly between swallowing and breathing
-
develop secondary health problems such as pneumonia caused by bacteria growing in the lungs, due to inhaled liquids Page 12 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Cerebellum: Problems with balance, movement and walking. Examples: A person may: -
have problems co-ordinating movements (ataxia) and with precision or accurate timing of movements
-
have problems with loss of balance and may experience falls
-
have problems walking and gait
-
experience tremors or weakness of muscles
-
have problems with speech due to loss of muscle control
Living with dementia: how much does the person know? In the beginning people living with dementia may have self-awareness and so know that they need support, but that is when they need us least. As dementia progressively worsens, people usually lose insight and so they no longer know they have dementia and hence do not know they have become dependent on others. As a result when a person living with dementia needs us most they may not be aware that they need us at all. Consequently, they can easily misunderstand the actions of others especially during times of intimate care.
• Explains why depression, delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Depression can sometimes be mistaken for dementia because with dementia a person’s behaviour and feeling of well-being can change and cause the person to appear withdrawn and this for example might be mistaken for depression. However, if the person is depressed then it could be the depression not the dementia causing them ill-being. Delirium for example can be brought on as a result of an infection and this might be mistaken with dementia because for example the person could become confused and suffer with memory loss, which are also signs and symptoms of dementia. It is very similar for age-related memory impairment; if someone becomes forgetful they might think or others might think they have dementia because a lot of people associate dementia with old age and memory loss but younger people can be affected too.
Page 13 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Depression and delirium Depression is when someone has feelings of low mood which go on for a while. It is quite common and can happen to anyone at any time. Depression can range from mild low mood to serious “clinical depression” where people may feel suicidal. Some of the symptoms of depression can be similar to those of dementia such as irritability, social withdrawal, forgetfulness, poor appetite and sleep and problems making decisions. Depression is treatable with anti-depressant medication or “talking treatments” such as therapy. Depression can occur alongside dementia, but is often not diagnosed. It is possible to treat people living with dementia for depression. Delirium is an “acute confusional state” or a temporary, short term state of confusion. It can be identified by sudden onset (the confusion occurs very quickly), perceptual problems (problems making sense of the information coming in through the senses – sight, hearing etc), altered sleeping patterns and may be accompanied by hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there) and delusions (believing things that are not true). It is caused by something going on outside the brain such as an infection (chest infection, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)), or the effects of drugs (some drugs such as pain killers or sedatives can build up in the system and cause delirium), poisons or dehydration. Delirium is temporary and treatable.
Page 14 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Task ②
• Outlines the medical model of dementia In the medical model of dementia the dementia itself is the focus rather than the person and it is seen as something that has to be treated and managed.
• Outlines the social model of dementia In the social model of dementia it is the reverse of the medical model because the person not the dementia is the focus and what the person needs, their feelings and wishes is the main focus rather than the dementia.
• Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability If social care workers viewed dementia as a disability then they will be accepting that dementia is a disability as it progresses it carries on disabling the brain and its functions; for example someone might become more confused or forgetful. Thinking of dementia as a disability makes social care workers think about how they can change things round and adapt their ways of working to meet the person’s needs and to let them live their lives how they want to; for example if a person with a dementia is difficult to understand when they are speaking it might be better to communicate with them using signs, pictures or writing things down.
What is a disability? Definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. What ‘Substantial’ and ‘Long-term’ mean -
‘Substantial’ is more than minor or trivial - eg it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed
-
‘Long-term’ means 12 months or more - eg a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection
Progressive conditions A progressive condition is a condition that gets worse over time. People with progressive conditions can be classed as disabled. However, you automatically meet the disability definition under the Equality Act 2010 from the day you’re diagnosed with HIV infection, cancer or multiple sclerosis.
Page 15 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
What isn’t counted as a disability Some conditions aren’t covered by the disability definition. These include addiction to non– prescribed drugs or alcohol. Reference about disability: https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010 Equalities Act 2010 Diagram
More about "disability dementia" under the Equalities Act 2010 http://www.dementiapartnerships.org.uk/workforce/learning-pathway/step-2/11-legislation/
Page 16 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Remind: What is Inclusion?
Inclusion
Quote: What you can do, I can do it too, my disability does not stop me. What is inclusion ? Inclusion means the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure. Inclusion is ensuring that all people with health needs can become valued and responsible citizens and take part in mainstream activities alongside people who do not need to use health services. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (World Health Organisation, 1948) No sector of society should be excluded from access to health benefits. Group which have been excluded include substance abusers, alcohol abusers, travellers and people with mental health needs.
Page 17 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Remind: What is Equality?
Equality
Equality means treating everyone in the same way.
What is equality ?
Equality means the state of being equal, in status, rights, and opportunities. Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are treated fairly and equally and no less favourably, specific to their needs, including areas of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. Promoting equality should remove discrimination in all of the aforementioned areas. Bullying, harassment or victimisation are also considered as equality and diversity issues.
Page 18 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Remind: What is Discrimination?
Discrimination
Quote about discrimination: “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.” What is discrimination ? The definition of discrimination is the act of prejudice against a person because they have a certain set of characteristics. Discrimination is to treat a person less favourably than another person is, or would be, treated in the same or similar circumstances. Discrimination is treating someone differently because of some ascribed difference. Usually negative. Discrimination is to treat people unequally, some favoured more than others - is often an expression of prejudice. Discrimination can take many forms but in many countries around the world there are laws prohibiting any form of discrimination. Discrimination can be on the grounds of sex and sexual orientation, race, disability, mental health, age, ethnic background, religion, gender and gender reassignment, learning ability, life style and outlook. This is not acceptable. Discrimination can be based on the assumptions people make about other eg people with mental health issues are dangerous.
Page 19 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Remind: What is Diversity?
Diversity
Quote: It takes all sorts to make a world. What is diversity ? Diversity means difference. The fact or quality of being diverse. People's differences can be many and varied. People are different in the way they look, dress, behave, believe and worship; where they work; how they live; age, gender, Sexual orientation, Marital status, Politics, Religion,
Page 20 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Disability, Socio-economic differences, Family structure, Health, Values, Race, Culture, National origin, Ethnic group - yet also have many similarities. In a diverse society people need to tolerate and value differences in people so that we can continue to be individuals. Diversity allows people to contribute to society. The more people are economically active, the more successful is the economy and this then benefits everyone. Diversity is about valuing difference. It does not mean that everyone should be treated in the same way as different people have differing needs. Everyone should be treated with equal respect. A successfully diverse workforce is one that contains people at all levels who have a range of different characteristics and who have been recruited on the basis of their abilities and competence to do the job. Task ③
• Lists the common causes of dementia The common cause of dementia are Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Fronto-temporal Dementia
• Describes the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia The likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of Alzheimer’s Disease are difficulties with remembering, using language to speak becomes more difficult, thinking and making decisions becomes harder as the person becomes more confused. The likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of Vascular Dementia are difficulties with speaking and using the right language, the person’s balance and co ordination can be affected as well as memory loss. The likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of Dementia with Lewy Bodies are the physical symptoms include can cause the person’s movements to slow down and can make them more likely to have trips and falls. There will be memory loss, difficulties with using language and making decisions. Hallucinations, double vision and problems with balance are also common.
Page 21 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
The likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of Fronto-temporal Dementia are difficulties with language, behaviour and feelings. The person might have mood swings and variable and inappropriate behaviour.
How do different types of dementia affect the brain and the person? The parts of the brain affected by dementia can vary depending on the type of dementia a person has.
Alzheimer’s disease – the damage is usually global, so all parts of the brain may be affected. The disease process tends to work from the outside of the brain downwards and inwards. The cerebellum and then the brain stem are the last areas to be affected. Example: A person with Alzheimer’s disease may notice a number of abilities slowly and gradually beginning to decline. They may start to forget things, have problems finding the right word, or in remembering people’s names and may start to become lost when they go out shopping. Vascular dementia – the damage can be anywhere in the brain because it is caused by an accumulation of small or large strokes. A stroke can be caused by a small block (clot) or a break in the artery. Either of these can stop blood flowing to a particular part of the brain. This causes that part of the brain to die because its blood and oxygen supply is cut off. Someone with vascular dementia may not appear to have dementia at all except in one aspect of their functioning. People who have vascular dementia usually experience sudden or step changes in abilities because they experience another stroke. Example: A person with vascular dementia may have no problems with language, memory, planning or judgement. They may however find that writing becomes increasingly difficult or impossible, as do other skilled actions. This would suggest damage to the parietal lobe.
Page 22 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Dementia with Lewy bodies – the damage to the brain tends to be within the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes. Example: A person living with dementia with Lewy bodies may find their memory is largely unaffected by their dementia. However, they may experience regular hallucinations (they see or hear things that are not really present), have disturbed night sleep and daytime drowsiness, problems with talking and balance and find undertaking activities that require planning or sequencing of events, such as getting dressed and finding their way around, even in familiar places, becomes increasingly difficult. Fronto-temporal dementia – the damage is largely to the frontal and temporal lobes. As the condition progresses damage can spread throughout the brain and it appears more like Alzheimer’s disease. Example: A person with fronto-temporal dementia will experience changes in personality and behaviours, such that they may seem rude or engage in socially inappropriate behaviours and seem to lose control of themselves, or alternatively develop rigid routines and rituals. The changes in a person’s behaviour are due to the damage within the brain and are not controlled by the person. They may also have problems with language such as finding the right word or maintaining a conversation. As their condition progresses problems become more general.
The problems dementia causes Dementia causes people to experience a range of different problems. These include: Memory problems – this includes forgetting things, getting lost, not being able to remember people/faces or people’s names etc.
Page 23 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Communication problems – these can include problems finding the right words to use, problems with reading and writing and difficulties understanding what other people are saying.
Difficulties processing information – this can include what they see or hear, abilities to understand what other people are saying or doing, difficulties thinking, planning or carrying out actions. This can particularly be a problem is information is being received at a fast pace or if there is lots of it. Changes to how people feel – having dementia can make people feel more emotional, for example anxious or angry as they face the difficulties of adjusting living with dementia.
Page 24 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Difficulties socially – this can include finding social situations difficult, tiring or just too noisy and confusing to participate in. Other people living with dementia may behave in socially unacceptable ways eg saving or doing things such as swearing or exhibiting inappropriate sexual behaviours. Space and time awareness – people may forget the day, date and even the year. Awareness of their own body and the space around them can also be affected. This can mean people have difficulties sitting down or moving around. They may not recognise where they are as being familiar and may want to leave because it feels so strange.
• Outlines the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia The risk factors include having other family members with this condition means in terms of the genes that there is more chance of developing dementia. If you are at a high risk of high blood pressure which can cause a stroke then this will be another risk factor. Also, smoking, lack of exercise and eating food high in cholesterol can lead to an increase in risk of having a stroke. If you have a medical condition such as Huntington’s disease as dementia occurs in most cases.
Page 25 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
• Identifies prevalence rates for different types of dementia The prevalence rates for dementia in the UK (i.e. how frequent dementia occurs in the population) as per 2011 figures based on Alzheimer’s Society research: 40-64 years: 65-69 years: 70-79 years: 80+ years:
1 in 1400 1 in 100 1 in 25 1 in 6
The number of people with these different types of dementia can then be broken down into the following: Dementia Types: Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia Types: Vascular Dementia Dementia Types: Dementia with Lewy Bodies Dementia Types: Fronto-temporal Dementia
Prevalence Rates 62% Prevalence Rates 17% Prevalence Rates 4% Prevalence Rates 2%
Task ④
• Describe how two different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability Joan story: Joan is 65 years young and has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Joan is fully aware of her diagnosis but apart from having to write things down to remember she does not see that this will cause her any difficulties and does not think that she needs any support at the moment. Joan continues about her day-today life as usual and goes out. As Joan is 65 and her outlook on life is positive she is taking the news well and believes she can go about her usual business. This is due to her having Alzheimer’s in the early stages as she has not seen any major decline in her abilities apart from a little to her memory. Also, Joan is able to continue to go out so again does not feel that having Alzheimer’s is holding her back.
Helen story: Helen is 80 years of age and has dementia with Lewy Bodies. Most mornings she wakes up in pain all over her body and requires support with her personal care activities now as she is unsteady on her feet and complains of double vision. Helen is aware of her dementia sometimes and seems low in herself at these moments in time and at 80 years old she keeps on saying that things will not get any better for her now at her stage in life.
Page 26 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
Helen’s experience of living with dementia with Lewy Bodies is very different to Joan’s as the dementia has affected her ability to do things by herself and she is in pain – being aware of this means that she feels low in herself at times and cannot see a positive future ahead.
• Outlines the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an individual with dementia Positive Impacts: Social care workers encouraging Joan to continue to go out and be independent will maintain her sense of well-being. A dementia care advisor talking through and providing Joan with information about Alzheimer’s will retain her sense of being in control of the dementia not the other way round. Negative Impacts: Social care workers getting frustrated with Helen or ignoring her pains will only add to her ill-being and feeling low. An advocate imposing own views on Helen and not listening to how she is and ignoring her needs will only add to Helen feeling low.
Summary of dementia awareness The experience of every individual living with dementia is different. This is because: The damage to each individual’s brain will be different. The impact of the dementia itself is always within the context of an individual’s life history, personality, health and the social world around them. Each person makes sense of what they are experiencing through their own previous experiences. This is why it is important to know and see the person first. Even though someone may have dementia, no two people living with dementia nor their experiences of people living with dementia are the same. We can do a lot to support people to face the challenges of living with dementia. We need to work to support the disabilities caused by the damage of their brain in the context of knowing the person and always bear in mind that the person living with dementia may misunderstand and resist our efforts to assist them. This may be because they lack insight and hence are unaware of their dementia and of their dependency on us. Of my own opinion confronted by many years of working with dementia residents, I should find more efficient for the general opinion, to install a special environment between the dementia nursing home and mental unit.
Page 27 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
DEM 201 DEMENTIA Awareness by Gaël Romanet
As a fact, some dementia residents can be "terrible" due to difficult dementia conditions, and the staff in normal dementia nursing home can be confronted to difficult situations, and they may not have enough experience and understand of dementia to provide the good cares for this kind of "terrible dementia residents". Also, the structure and design of normal dementia nursing home may not be properly adapted to provide the correct cares for the "terrible dementia residents". It's could be a REAL PROGRESS for the society to provide a "special environment care" between the dementia nursing home and mental unit for the "terrible dementia resident"
...about... A dementia person REALLY believes the words of the other normal persons, and it is TERRIBLE because you lost control with the reality and you don't know what is true and who to believe. Who say the truth? I am lost!!! I observed dementia residents in my work place all believe in JESUS CHRIST. It is nothing strange because Jesus is the only one who never lies, the only one who speaks the truth! Tell me? Do you know? What time? Are common questions in my work place, and the best answer to give to a resident is to say the truth, simply. Other words after 'Yes' or 'No' are from the bad and are useless for the residents. Page 28 of 28
Source: gaelromanet.com/DEM201.pdf
