Download - Helping People with Dementia
Helping People with Dementia
Person centered care seeks to view the person with dementia as a whole and study how the person is influenced.
A person centered approach has following principles:
• Uniqueness
• Complexity
• Enabling
• Personhood
• Value of others
• Empowerment
Using person centered approach
• Person centred care is not a suitable method of care for a confused person because they cannot assess their own needs.
• Some aspects of person centred care would include comforting the client by talking, a gentle touch, maintaining eye contact, providing attention, validating their feelings, understanding their individual needs and making them feel important.
Using person centered approach
Individual needs
As dementia advances, bodily functions are lost and mobility becomes difficult. The needs of the client increases and they become dependent. Some of the individual needs includes:
• Mobility• Eating and drinking • Bathing• Hygiene • Dressing• Oral Health• Podiatry• Risk and safety• Encouragement• Acceptance• Validation
Individual needs
As dementia advances, bodily functions are lost and mobility becomes difficult. The needs of the client increases and they become dependent. Some of the individual needs includes:
• Mobility• Eating and drinking • Bathing• Hygiene • Dressing• Oral Health• Podiatry• Risk and safety• Encouragement• Acceptance• Validation
Work with awareness of the physical, social and emotional impact of dementia on a person:
1. Physical impact
2. Social impact
3. Emotional impact
Individual needs
1. Physical impact• Gradual decline in the physical health. • Memory loss, confusion and
disorientation. • Gradually, severe memory loss may be
apparent.• They may need assistance in performing
activities of daily living.
Physical Impact
2. Social Impact• Society rarely shows empathy towards
people with dementia. • They are isolated because they are old
and they forget things. • Lack of patience and understanding can
lead to discrimination.
Social Impact
3. Emotional impact• Feel ignored and hurt very easily. • May also cause mood disturbances and
depression.• May neglect aspect of their lives as they
do not know how to deal with
Emotional Impact
Dementia and other cultures
• Dementia sufferers from different cultures may:o have different understandings of dementiao have different beliefs of the causes of
dementiao feel stigma associated with dementia o present late for diagnosiso not know how to access appropriate
services
Services provided to the older people
Adult day care
Home health care
In- home respite
care
Government programs
• Adult day care: Provides supervision and social opportunities for people with dementia outside of the home for anywhere from a few hours to a whole day. Adult day care agencies normally do not offer overnight care. Many can provide personal care such as assistance with medication, toileting and eating. Meals are often included.
Services provided to the older people
• In-Home respite care: Provides caregivers with a break while providing supervision and social engagement to people with dementia. Some respite providers are not licensed to provide personal care, but can provide socialisation and light meal preparation. These types of respite care providers are appropriate during early stages of dementia.
Services provided to the older people
• Home health care: Provides medical care services such as injections, frequent blood pressure checks.
Services provided to the older people
• Government programs: Several programs may be available to help meet the needs of people with dementia. For example, Meals on Wheels.
Services provided to the older people
Services and referrals for clients with dementia
The person’s doctor can put you in contact with:
• Aged Care Assessment Team
• Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres
• Commonwealth Carer Resource Centres
• Counselling
Tips for effective communication skills
• Talk to the client as an adult and maintain their dignity.
• Do not use childlike language when speaking to them.
• Speak clearly and try to use a gently tone.
• Use person’s preferred name.
Tips for effective communication skills
• When greeting a client help them by reminding them who you are, like Hello Jean, its carol here.
• Keep sentences short and simple. Never overload the client with too much information.
• Use body language - gestures, facial expressions and visual demonstrations.
Tips for effective communication skills
• Use of touch to gain attention and convey feelings.
• Avoid use of very modern words, it may frustrate the client.
• Assess whether your client has special needs such as hearing or visual impairment that you should take into consideration.
HONESTYCarers should aim to be honest with clients, explaining clearly what they are doing and why, and giving clients the opportunity to express views or feelings.
Tips for effective communication skills
EMPOWERMENTLet the client take small responsibilities. Look for strengths and skills in each client and empower them by encouraging them to use their skills. This will boost their confidence and give them a feeling of independence.
Tips for effective communication skills
ENCOURAGEMENTAlways encourage the client to do as much as possible for themselves. Never try to bully or intimidate them. Allow them to use their skills like cooking, games, sewing etc. But always encourage them in a safe and risk-free environment.
Tips for effective communication skills
AVOID LABELSTry not to label people as problems. Consider how it may affect their personality. Labeling someone as aggressive may make other carers nervous of them. Likewise labeling someone as a wanderer may result in others being over restrictive towards them.
Tips for effective communication skills
ACCEPTANCERecognise all the skills the person with dementia still retains after focusing on the losses and accept them for the unique person they are.
Tips for effective communication skills
PATIENCEAllow time for the patient to perform their activities. Wait for replies when talking, do not hurry them when walking and allow plenty of time to finish eating.
Tips for effective communication skills
VALIDATIONValidation strategies involve the acceptance and confirming of the client’s feelings and own experience of reality. Pay attention to your clients facial expressions. This often helps reduce anxiety, distress and agitation and promotes a sense of security. It is important to let clients go back to the past and to validate their memories.
Tips for effective communication skills
INCLUSIONAllow clients to participate as much as possible in the daily activities of the house. Folding clothes and linen, cooking and washing up may be arranged for those who enjoy household chores.
Tips for effective communication skills
Empathy
Acceptance of the person's reality
Acknowledgment
Allowing expressions of distress
Providing verbal and/or physical reassurance
Use reminiscences frequently to connect with clients
Tips for effective communication skills
IHNA offers qualifications in aged care, disability and nursing. Go to http://www.ihna.edu.au to kick start your health career.
Thank you for viewing this presentation!