Further knowledge in dementia part 1Further knowledge in dementia part 1South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Welcome
Introductions
Group Agreement
What will be achieved from this session?
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Main Talking Points
How the brain is affected when a person has dementia
Person centred care and positive communication How physical health is important to a person with
dementia
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
The BrainParietal Lobe: Organises your body in space
Frontal Lobe:Helps to regulate behaviour
Temporal Lobe:Stores new information
Occipital Lobe:Makes sense of visual information
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Changes in dementia
Difficulties with: Getting lost Forgetting & losing things Finding the right words Expressing strong feelings in an appropriate way Making decisions and judgements Managing social situations Managing money and finances
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
The different types of dementia
Alzheimer’s disease Vascular dementia Lewy Body dementia Frontal temporal dementia Parkinson’s Disease Korsakoff’s Syndrome CJD
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Alzheimer’s disease Most common form of dementia Progresses gradually over time The damage to the brain cells usually starts in the
temporal lobe of the brain which results in a person having problems with short term memory and new learning
Damage to all areas of the lobes of the brain is common as the disease progresses
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Vascular dementia
Sometimes referred to as ‘stroke related dementia’ multi infarct / single infarct dementia The damage to the brain cells are dependent on
where the blood vessel damage occurs Sometimes it is described as ‘stepwise’ in the way
the changes occur The way the disease progresses is very variable from
person to person
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Lewy Body dementia This dementia shares similarities with both
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases Lewy bodies are tiny round deposits found in the
nerve cells which disrupt the brains normal functioning
Hallucinations and delusions are commonly experienced
The person with Lewy body dementia may react badly to anti-psychotic medications
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Tom Kitwood and psychological needs of people with dementia
Person centred care in practice Positive communication in distressing situations
Person centred care and positive communication
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Tom Kitwood
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Think of ways you might uphold a person’s well being in each of these areas
Person centred care in practice
Key difficulties and responses
When the person is confused by past memories
Positive and effective communication in distressing situations
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
When the person is confused by past memories:
Consider is it possible to orientate the person to reality?
Validating/ agreeing with the person’s feelings Explore past memories that the person is
experiencing Provide reassurance and comfort
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Positive communication in distressing situations
Responding to distress and frustration: Do not argue with the person – focus less on the
factual content of what is being said and more on how the person is feeling
Do not blame the person for being distressed Try not to take it personally if the person displays
angry behaviour towards you It may help to try and distract the person with
everyday routines such as meals /walks
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Responding to distress and frustration: Consider the person’s sense of ‘reality’ and respond
to this - using reminiscence to link to past stories in the person’s life and asking questions to engage the person.
Look to identify how the person is feeling and respond to this.
Identify ‘themes’ and plan accordingly.
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Verbal communication
Speak in a calm way; notice the tone of your voice Use short sentences giving small amounts of
information Make time for the person to answer Don’t argue about facts or try to ‘correct’ the person
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Identify the non verbal skills that are being used in this communication
Non-Verbal Communication
Move to the person’s level Gain eye contact where possible Use gestures, objects or signals as well as words e.g.
show the person an object that relates to what you are saying
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
General health and well being
Exercise: does the person have opportunities to move around?
Good diet: is the person getting enough to eat, is this a balanced diet and nutritional?
Having enough fluids: is the person getting enough to drink?
Being free from pain and infection Environment: is the room warm/cool enough?
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Focus on physical health in order to:
Reduce the risk of delirium Reduce potential
communication difficulties where a person is trying to express these needs
Increase an individuals wellbeing
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1
Main Talking Points re-visited: Any questions?
How the brain is affected when a person has dementia
Person centred care and positive communication How physical health is important to a person with
dementia
South West Dementia Partnership Further knowledge in dementia part 1