Poor oral health is often associated with dementia, but skilled professional interventions can break the link. The authors, who both work at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, offer practical advice.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Poor oral health is often associated with dementia, but skilled professional interventions can break the link. The authors, who both work at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, offer practical advice.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
dementia, health care, oral health, treatment, intervention, professionals, professional role;
This toolkit provides a practical guide to introducing Namaste Care to care homes and highlights its potential for meeting the psycho-social and spiritual needs of people with advanced dementia. Namaste Care is a structured programme operating over a seven day period aims to give comfort to people with advanced dementia through sensory stimulation, especially the use of touch. The toolkit covers...
(Edited publisher abstract)
This toolkit provides a practical guide to introducing Namaste Care to care homes and highlights its potential for meeting the psycho-social and spiritual needs of people with advanced dementia. Namaste Care is a structured programme operating over a seven day period aims to give comfort to people with advanced dementia through sensory stimulation, especially the use of touch. The toolkit covers: advanced dementia, end-of-life care for people with dementia, shows how the Namaste Care programme can help incorporate person-centred care into practice; highlights the importance of leadership and teamwork in establishing the programme. Later sections of the guide then outline what needs to implement the programme, including communicating with relatives and developing and evaluating the programme.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
dementia, care homes, end of life care, person-centred care, intervention, residential care;
Journal of Dementia Care, 20(2), March 2012, pp.24-25.
Publisher:
Hawker
Evidence suggests that unless pain is routinely assessed it will not be discovered by care staff. However, pain is more likely to be recognised when using an assessment scale. This article sets out the case for using pain assessment tools regularly when caring for people with dementia. It describes two instruments, the Abbey pain scale and the Doloplus-2 scale, both of which are familiar to many
Evidence suggests that unless pain is routinely assessed it will not be discovered by care staff. However, pain is more likely to be recognised when using an assessment scale. This article sets out the case for using pain assessment tools regularly when caring for people with dementia. It describes two instruments, the Abbey pain scale and the Doloplus-2 scale, both of which are familiar to many care staff, and presents similarities and differences between them. The article also presents details of a training programme, the Modernisation Initiative End of Life Care Programme, in Lambeth, London, for care staff to use the Doloplus-2 scale to assess patients and interpret the results. Building pain assessment into existing care systems means it will become familiar to more staff, and essential when an acute crisis occurs. Also, by using an instrument to assess pain on a regular basis, pain is more likely to be detected and acted upon.
Journal of Dementia Care, 19(4), July 2011, pp.20-21.
Publisher:
Hawker
Facing the Future, a peer support service for carers of people with dementia, is a project based in south London focusing on providing support for carers of people with dementia facing end of life care dilemmas, in the context of the objectives in the National Dementia Strategy and the End of Life Care Strategy. This article describes how the project was developed and implemented. The project...
Facing the Future, a peer support service for carers of people with dementia, is a project based in south London focusing on providing support for carers of people with dementia facing end of life care dilemmas, in the context of the objectives in the National Dementia Strategy and the End of Life Care Strategy. This article describes how the project was developed and implemented. The project recruited volunteers who had cared for someone with dementia who had died at least a year before to become peer supporters, and approached care homes to ask about speaking at their regular relatives meetings to introduce the volunteers and generate discussion. The article discusses issues arising from the meetings, including the support needs of the volunteer carers and the relatives, and the importance of involving staff.
Subject terms:
needs, peer groups, relatives, volunteers, carers, care homes, dementia, end of life care, peer support;
Journal of Dementia Care, 19(6), November 2011, pp.18-19.
Publisher:
Hawker
The modernisation initiative ‘End of Life Care Programme’, 2008-2011, aims to improve end of life care for people with dementia in Lambeth and Southwark, London. The ‘Nurse Facilitator for End of Life Care’ role was created to encourage and support best practice, and combine end of life care with dementia care skills. The role provided an opportunity to effect lasting change by enhancing
The modernisation initiative ‘End of Life Care Programme’, 2008-2011, aims to improve end of life care for people with dementia in Lambeth and Southwark, London. The ‘Nurse Facilitator for End of Life Care’ role was created to encourage and support best practice, and combine end of life care with dementia care skills. The role provided an opportunity to effect lasting change by enhancing the skills of care staff, which was deemed a necessity in care homes because of the high turnover of care staff. The facilitator worked closely alongside nurses and care staff in several ways, through observation and sharing tasks. Advice from the facilitator led to improved pain management in numerous cases, resulting in a decrease in distressing client behaviour. The role has demonstrated that end of life care does not require specialist input, but rather is the responsibility of carers, which was aided by the End of Life Care Programme.
Journal of Dementia Care, 14(3), May 2006, pp.25-27.
Publisher:
Hawker
Supporting a group of very frail people with dementia to relocate is a complex task. In this article, the authors describe how they planned and implemented an internal relocation at Amerbly Lodge in London in order to minimise the risks to residents, and also the important lessons learned.
Supporting a group of very frail people with dementia to relocate is a complex task. In this article, the authors describe how they planned and implemented an internal relocation at Amerbly Lodge in London in order to minimise the risks to residents, and also the important lessons learned.
Subject terms:
nursing homes, older people, planning, communication, consultation, dementia, health care;
Journal of Dementia Care, 13(2), March 2005, pp.28-29.
Publisher:
Hawker
Discusses the use of PEG feeding tubes for people with end stage dementia when they find it difficult to eat and drink. The author set out the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and gives guidance for best practice.
Discusses the use of PEG feeding tubes for people with end stage dementia when they find it difficult to eat and drink. The author set out the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and gives guidance for best practice.
Journal of Dementia Care, 12(5), September 2004, pp.12-13.
Publisher:
Hawker
Describes the Care Homes Support Team, an initiative launched in April 2003 providing NHS medical and nursing support to 40 independent sector care homes in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, enabling them to achieve high standards in the care of older people, including those with dementia.
Describes the Care Homes Support Team, an initiative launched in April 2003 providing NHS medical and nursing support to 40 independent sector care homes in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, enabling them to achieve high standards in the care of older people, including those with dementia.
Subject terms:
older people, standards, care homes, care management, dementia;