The Irish National Dementia Strategy seeks to progress the dual and overarching principles of personhood and citizenship by enabling people with dementia to maintain their identity, resilience and dignity.
Research has shown that quality of life as experienced by the person with dementia may not always align with those of professional healthcare staff. Healthcare staff tend to rate quality of life lower for the person with dementia based principally on the deterioration of ability to engage in activities of daily living. However, for the person with dementia this is not always how they view their life and situation. This difference in perception can lead to a lack of understanding of the needs of the person with dementia and how they can be met.
I have worked training healthcare staff for the last 10 years and have specialized in the area of caring for people with dementia. I am aware of the difficulties that arise due to lack of understanding of situations which can result in increased levels of stress and anxiety for both the person with dementia and healthcare staff.
Training
I provide staff training in dementia care focusing on positive support for people living with dementia. Topic covered are as follows:
- Types of Dementia
- Cognitive Symptoms
- Behaviour Symptoms
- Understanding Behaviour
- Identifying Behaviour
- Responses to Behaviour
- Accommodating Behaviour
- Consent
- Person Centred Care Plans
- Restrictive Practices
Assessments
I provide practical, person and situation specific support, focusing on providing resolutions that include the needs of everyone involved using the following framework:
- Identifying the issues
- Understanding the issues from the differing perspectives
- Current responses to the situation
- Needs of the person with dementia
- Needs of the care support group
- Supported decision making/Consent
- Identifying interventions that will support the needs of everyone involved in caring for the person with dementia
- Monitoring the effectiveness of interventions
- Environmental Assessment
Developing a progressive and person-centred care programme requires an on-going programme of involvement which is tailored to the size and needs of the specific nursing home.
My proposal involves my attendance on-site in the nursing home as a Dementia Care Specialist Advisor for 1 day on a regular interval basis (weekly, fortnightly, monthly). During this time, I am available to work with individual residents and healthcare staff to address issues or difficulties they may be experiencing.
Cost
I believe that for an effective working relationships full disclosure on the cost of my services is essential so please find a breakdown of costs below: