Dementia (1-2 days)*

Dementia is a syndrome that is often misunderstood thus leaving support workers feeling deskilled and service users not getting the appropriate support that is their right.

This course aims to demystify the condition and help workers understand it -from causation, through the progress of the condition and to the end of life stages. They will consider how to approach support in a practical and ‘Person Centred way’.

Learning objectives:

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

• What is meant by Dementia as a general term
• Typical signs and symptoms
• How someone would get a diagnosis of Dementia:
        -The professionals involved
        -How the assessment would take place
        -What useful information the supporters could provide
        -The challenges in Diagnosis and the misdiagnosis that can occur
• The different Dementias- a brief overview and prognosis for each
• What is Alzheimer’s disease
• Who gets it:
        -Gender
        -Ethnicity
        -Age
        etc.
• What causes it:
        -Recent research
        -Myths
• Who is indirectly affected
• The progress of the condition-Stages
• What might it be like to experience Dementia
• How the condition may impact upon partners, family, neighbours etc
• What is meant by ‘A living bereavement’
• Caring for someone at home (Incl. resources and help available)
• The move to residential care (Incl. issues for family)
• Care in early stages: incl. medication and help available
• Residential staff and their role in dealing with:
        -Confusion, memory, orientation
        -Maintaining skills and independence
        -Managing aggression
        -Working with Anxiety/Depression, Delusions and Hallucinations
        -Health and Safety and working with risk
        -Physical, Social, Psychological and Spiritual Care
        -Maintaining dignity and issues of culture
        -Partners/family
• Approaches to Care Planning
• The end of life stages in a residential setting
• Issues of loss and bereavement for family, other residents, staff

Training methods:

•Presentations
•OHP/PowerPoint
•Word storming
•Visualisation
•Role Play
•Discussion
•Video
•Chalk & Talk
•Group work
•Handouts

* Please note that a one day course will provide very little opportunity to discuss the issues in depth. Support strategies will be noted but not explored

CP36/4.9