Dementia Friendly Environment

As the number of people are diagnosed with dementia increases, it is essential that people receive continued supported to live independently in the comfort of their own homes. In future years, care homes places are likely to be inadequate in coping with the ageing populations so we will need to find alternatives.

Whether you work for a home care service or support a member of your family, it is important to understand the impact the environment can have on a person's wellbeing as it can often help you to understand a person's behavior and you can make changes to compensate.

When a person has dementia, they additional problems relating to memory loss and confusion. There are emotional changes too, such as agitation and depression. Although there is no cure for old age or dementia, there are changes that we can make to improve homes and provide safe and comfortable surrounding that will support independent living and quality of life.

There are some changes that could be made when considering either a house move or refurbishing an existing home, which could make it easier for someone with dementia to maintain their independence and confidence for longer- not only giving the person with dementia a better quality of life but having a positive effect on their families, friends and carers.

Karen Clayton

Mental Health Awareness

This is a great video from Minds Like Ours, who are trying to raise awareness of mental health disorders and help those in need

Shaping the future of care for the elderly with Dementia

LIFE STORIES HELP THOSE WITH DEMENTIA

Guidance for the care of elderly people

Nursing elderly people is a specialism that requires highly skilled nurses who can deal with the complexity of health and social needs that older people can present you with. As the older population increases so too does the need for greater understanding of the specific needs for the elderly people.

Ensuring quality of life and well-being during old age is vital and includes addressing issues around ill health and frailty. There is no doubt that providing the fundamentals of care in a skilled and caring way can make a huge difference to the outcomes and quality of life for elderly people in your care.

The essence of nursing care for the older people is about getting to know and value people as individuals through effective assessment, finding out how they want to be cared for from their perspective, and providing care which ensure that respect, dignity and fairness are maintained.

The aim of this guidance is to encourage nurses to develop a positive attitude towards elderly people , and embrace positive feelings of respect and an understanding that elderly people are important members of society. the majority of whom have the potential to participate actively and be in control of their own lives.

Understanding Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's Disease

We care for older people and adult with conditions such as Alzheimer's, Dementia, Stroke, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis,Physical disabilities , Learning Disabilities, Reablement needs following hospitalisation, Respite care and end of life care.

Dementia -Recognising Synthoms of Dementia.

Understanding and Recognising Dementia.

People with dementia should be supported to live fulfilled and positive lives and to reach their potential wherever they choose to live or during their journey through the health and social care system.

The need for excellence in care for people with dementia should be paramount for all practitioners.The changes experienced by people with dementia when entering a new environment, or the impact of ill health or a traumatic life event, can often manifest themselves in changes in behaviours or distress. Understanding the and recognising the consequences of dementia are crucial to how we treat people and manage the disease.

What is dementia?

Dementia describes a clinical syndrome in which the brain fails to function, it used to be called brain failure in the same way as people talk about heart failure, liver failure or kidney failure.

Symptoms can vary from person to person. some of these symptom may include:

• Problem in cognition (largely memory lost but also language)
• Problems with activities of daily living(an inability to care for oneself)
• A cluster of emotion changes (psychological and psychiatric symptoms, and behaviours that can be challenging).
• Decline in language abilities, this might include difficulty getting words out or understanding words. People may repeat commonly used word or phrases, make grammatical errors and forget the meaning of words
• Difficulty recognising people or knowing what object are for.
• Personality changes, this may include a lack of social awareness, loss sympathy and empathy, apathy and inappropriate behaviour.
• Changes in food preference or over -eating.
• Lack of personal awareness. People may fail to maintain their normal level of personal hygiene and grooming.

Dementia is a progressive condition, and the main causes are Alzheimer's disease (about 60 per cent) and vascular dementia (about 25 per cent) with the combination of two being common.Other less common causes includes lewy body dementia in which symptom of Parkinson's disease are present and frontal.

Diagnosis

Its is important to get the right diagnosis so that appropriate treatments and help can be given. if you worried about your health or someone else's you should talk to your GP.

If your GP suspects dementia, they may refer you to memory clinic or another specialist clinic., You will asked about your symptoms and medical history and may have a physical check-up and memory test. They may also send you for other test including brain scans and blood tests. Together these tests will help to identify the problems in thinking and function and the likely cause.

Carers coping with stress

Stress is an individual experience and may be caused by one or more of many different factors however a common consensus is that on-going stress can lead to health problems, affecting your well being which also impacts on those around you. The table below consists of common symptoms of stress, both physical and emotional. 

Physical Symptoms	Emotional Symptoms
Headaches	Tearfulness
Tiredness	Anxiety
Aches and Pains	Panic
Changes in weight	Anger
Changes in appetite	Loneliness
Changes in sleeping pattern

Recommendation on how carers can cope with stress  

First and foremost I think it is important that you acknowledge that you are experiencing stress and identify exactly what is causing the stress. After which you can attempt different options to minimising the stress.

This may mean eliminating the stressful situation completely; however in some cases this may not be possible.  The list below may be helpful in coping with stress. It is never OK to live with stress as this WILL have major consequences to your health.  

Ø  Speak to your manager, although this may be a scary thought they may offer practical solutions that may benefit you (e.g. change shift patterns). 

Ø  Look at time management, as this will help you to priorities your daily duties and not do too much in a day. 

Ø  Practice relaxation to control any negative physical symptoms of stress (e.g. counting to ten)   Often it is worth talking to your GP who may be able to refer you to counseling or other methods of support. 

Ø  Speaking with family and friends, having a support network to express how you’re feeling will help you to better cope with a situation rather than keeping it all to yourself. 

Ø  Attend local support groups, if you cannot find one start one yourself chances are others are in similar situations.      

Ø  Keep a weekly stress diary to reflect and identify specific events of what triggered the stress.

Whatever you are going through take care of yourself!!!