Connecting to People with Dementia

What is it like to be a Person Diagnosed with Dementia?

Most courses in Dementia focus on clinical and ‘management’ issues and little time is devoted to the experience of the person with Dementia. A valuable resource is thus lost. Unless the personal experience is understood it is very challenging indeed to provide an appropriate Person-Centred service.

This one day course aims to provide insight into the experience of the person and help learners develop an approach that is most likely to meet their needs.

Learning objectives:

By the end of this training learners should be able to understand:

• A brief refresher of the main symptoms and the progress of Dementia-The stages from onset to death
• The feelings that can be experienced by a person diagnosed with Dementia
• What it might be like to be confused and disorientated
• What it might be like to have impaired/failing memory
• What it might be like for partners, family, friends etc to witness and perhaps support someone through the stages
• How this can be experienced as a ‘Living bereavement’
• How this ‘bereavement’ might be demonstrated by the family (that may present challenges to support staff)
• How can we communicate in a non judgmental, patient and empathic way with the family
• How to build positive relationships with the person with Dementia and their family
• What is meant by a Person-Centred approach to care:
        -What does this mean in a support setting?
        -How might the principles be compromised by Health & Safety responsibilities
• How we can adapt a pure model and appropriately apply it when working with people with Dementia so as to enhance their dignity and respect
• What learners can do to impact on the service they provide in terms of the adapted model
• Challenges to communication
• Appropriate language and communication techniques to develop a more positive communicative environment during the different points of the Dementia experience

Training methods:

• OHP/PowerPoint
• Handouts
• Role Play
• Visualisation
• Large group
• Small groups
• Word shower
• Chalk & talk
• Tutor presentations
• Warm ups
• Feedback