Safeguarding Adults: Improving Awareness For People With Dementia and Those That Support Them
I recently saw a thought provoking video called ‘Andrea’s Story’ from Real Safeguarding Stories. You can watch it yourself by following the link here. Andrea, who is played by an actor, tells the story of her mother who had a dementia diagnosis. She formed a relationship with a man who was much younger than her…
Read MoreDelirium and its Interrelationship with Dementia
As a mental health practitioner working with people over the age of 65, I’ve come across people who’ve been discharged from general hospitals with a newly diagnosed dementia who make a full recovery recover soon after discharge. This might seem slightly odd given that dementia is a degenerative disease. Miracle working is not at play…
Read MoreFirearms and Dementia: A UK Perspective
In the United Kingdom firearms ownership is deemed a privilege rather than a right. Possession in this country is highly regulated and has been particularly restrictive since the Dunblane school shooting of 2002. Gun licensing is the responsibility of local police forces and a person has to have a very good reason to own this…
Read MoreAromatherapy and Dementia
There are just a few small scale research studies that have explored the use of aromatherapy as treatment for some of the unpleasant symptoms of agitation and distress that some people with dementia experience. Most notably the use of melissa (lemon balm) to ease agitation and the properties of lavender to promote sleep have been…
Read MoreBingo: Activity and Dementia
‘It’s bingo this afternoon.’ said the manager of a care home when I was visiting. ‘I’ve tried to stop it but the residents love it so much.’ It’s easy to be a bit snobby but I’ll confess to having a thoroughly enjoyable little fling with this game of chance a few years ago. My son’s…
Read MoreHow Long Is A Piece of String?: The Progression of Dementia
A few years ago I snapped the cruciate ligament at the back of my knee in a skiing accident. After it was repaired I underwent a lengthy period of rehab. My physiotherapist explained the regime that he’d devised for me in some detail. He make it very clear that I could not speed up the process and I had to…
Read MoreActivity and Dementia: Flower Crafts
The inspiration for today’s picture and this post comes from an old memory. Twenty years ago I was an occupational therapy student on placement in an older adult mental health service. In those days provision for dementia patients within the NHS was far more extensive than now and the trust where I was working not only had…
Read MorePain As A Driver For Agitation For People With Dementia
If you think about it most of us can be pretty dysfunctional if we’re in severe pain. We might cry, whine, withdraw social contact or get needier, find it harder to pay attention and avoid normal activity. In extreme cases we might lash out verbally and physically at those who cause or exacerbate the pain. …
Read MoreCasino Daycare: A Good Idea?
An article about an alternative to conventional day care caught my eye. The founder, Kaoru Mori, had an idea after seeing how enthusiastically older people participated in gaming activities in Las Vegas. So he’s set up a number of casino-type day centres in his home country of Japan, a nation where gambling is usually frowned upon. Although real…
Read MoreBasic Risk Assessment: Promoting Safety in the Home After a Dementia Diagnosis
Some articles that I’ve come across seem to suggest that, as soon as a person is diagnosed with dementia, they need to be wrapped in cotton wool and protected from all types of harm immediately. Yet this is not the case. What is hazardous for one person may present little risk for someone else at a given point…
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