Approaches Towards Dementia Care

Approaches Towards Dementia Care Peter John Ignacio Jael Wafula Support Planning for Geriatric Health Conditions Introduction Today, our society consists of increasing number of people aged sixty five and over. This is the result of the baby boomer effect in which post world war two children are now in the latter stages of their lives. It is believed that institutions which are inclined in supporting the elderly have to be experts in the health concerns that goes along with ageing. There can be a variety of health conditions an old person can have, these include, but not limited to, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, vision and hearing loss, skin changes, and mental, emotional and psychological changes. The latter, being the focus of this paper, is mostly referred to as the main concern of the elderly not only here in New Zealand but most of the elderly all over the world. Topics involving this will be examined in this paper, such as, the differentiation of person centred approach and non-person centred approach in care of the elderly, techniques in meeting the fluctuating abilities and needs of elder people with conditions in mentation, impacts of cultural diversity and impacts of health sector standards on the person-centred model of managing individuals with cognitive difficulties, like dementia of senior members of the community and other geriatric related health conditions. Person-centred approach First to be examined is the person centred approach which is focused on the elderly person, individual resident, if in a rest home setting; a particular patient, if in a hospital setting; or the senior citizens, in society as a whole. It is the principle of knowing the person being cared for, comprehensively, not only the health concern or the disease that they have. People even in the advance stages of their lives have the right to be treated with respect and dignity. To do this, it is paramount to know the person as who he or she is and how he or she would like to be treated. First and foremost is knowing the name of the patient, resident or any individual being cared for. This is the basic thing to know by heart and not to be undermined. It is easy to forget names at times but it is important to make sure to know and remember names of persons being cared for especially the elderly. This can be done by regularly checking the charts or records of clients and using their names when c ommunicating with them on a daily basis. In turn, this can help in remembering and fully knowing the clients’ names and even furthering the caring relationship between the carers and the people being cared for. In addition to that, knowing clients’ personality and the activities they usually do would definitely help in establishing an outstanding relationship. Things like, hobbies, routines and favourites of the elderly are always good to know especially if they are residing in a facility that would benefit from these personal information for the continuity of care and to have harmonious client carer relationship altogether. In this way, satisfaction of elderly clients would be maintained and honoured. For elderly clients with dementia or similar health conditions, it is also indispensable to protect their rights. Western countries, New Zealand included, and other developed nations are very strict with regards to this. Clients, whatever their age is, should be treated and cared for in accordance to the bill of rights that everyone should respect and pay attention to, especially when caring for elderly clients. Included in this bill is the right of privacy. Privacy is still very important when caring for elderly clients. They are still fully aware of their surroundings and the things that make them uncomfortable should be avoided. The right of choice is also another factor that should be maintained in the life of the elderly. This means that clients have the right to choose of any aspect of their care. They are free to prefer being independent and to preserve their autonomy in everyday decision making, and of course the freedom from coercion or unconsented experiment or study that may be performed for the advancement of the geriatric medical field. Non-person-centred approach On the other hand, the non-person-centred approach to dementia and other advanced age related health concerns have a different precepts or premise. There are two common theme considered in the said approach. These are institution perspective and bio-medical perspective. The first one being focused in the welfare of the facility as the name implies. The reputation and the credibility of the institution is utmost important and to maintain a good image to the public, and perhaps to retain the funding provided by the government, institution perspective oriented facilities make sure that the elder clients are well taken care of. While the second one which is bio-medical perspective has its attention directed with the physical anomalies that elderly clients have. The main objective is to treat the disease and prolong life, which sometimes may overlook the most important factor in caring for the seniors, the getting to know part and truly addressing the needs of the clients not just the phy sical or bio-medical needs but the one that matters the most for clients of the said age group, the social and psychological aspect. Techniques used to meet needs of individuals with dementia and common geriatric health conditions To address further the needs and concerns of the senior citizens, there are some techniques used in various healthcare fields and facilities. The first to be discussed is the reality-orientation approach. This is about informing the clients of the current happening or event in the environment. For example, reorienting elderly of the time, date and place where they are at. This technique is very helpful in eliminating confusion and promoting clients’ confidence in performing activities for the day. In addition to the said events to be reoriented, familiar people and family members would facilitate better memory for the elderly. By seeing their relatives or hearing their names and stories about them, clients’ memory will be stimulated hence, vastly promotes confidence and lessen confusion and disorientation. Furthermore, the simplest but most important way to reorient clients is sometimes forgotten, this is using clients’ names always when communicating with them a nd informing them of activities they need to participate with for the day. For example, when entering a client’s room for his or her breakfast, a carer should knock on the door and politely call the client’s name to wake him or her up and encourage him to eat breakfast and to do succeeding client activities for the day. This will then make the client aware of his or her own surroundings and activities to be done. Therefore giving them confidence and feeling of self-worth. The next technique which is gaining popularity is the validation approach, it is inclined with accepting the client, understanding and somehow putting one’s self into the shoes of the clients. By doing this, elderly clients will be more responsive to interventions, they will be more active in communication and therefore will be more happy and contented. By agreeing to them and not contradicting their understanding of things it will be easy for the carer to redirect and divert the attention of the elderly to the right path or correct thinking. Thus, frustrations that may lead to depression would be minimized or even eliminated. Third technique is called assistive technologies. This is all about innovation and creativity being applied for not only practical but most importantly, for humanitarian cause. In this technique, modern equipment that can be used in everyday life are designed to promote independence, reduce risks and improve the quality of life of not only elderly clients but younger people with disabilities as well. Good examples of these technologies applied for the benefit of the elderly are clocks and calendars that have particular properties to prevent disorientation to time and date. Another are locator devices, these can be in a form of key ring or Velcro belts and bracelets that clients can wear and can be activated in cases of wandering and being lost. There is another type of elderly friendly technology that is very useful in ensuring safety and security for clients who are living by their own. This is called â€Å"Telecare†. It utilizes sensors that are installed around the clientâ €™s home and connected to a telecommunication device. This amazing technology detects environmental changes inside the house, such as, extreme temperatures, floods and even gas leaks. It also senses the client’s movements. For example, if the client is often getting up at night to go to the toilet or if there are risk of falls, this are detected by the sensors and appropriate communication will be submitted to the nominated person. These various forms of technologies prove to be very helpful in keeping the seniors safe and secure while maintaining their need to be independent and fully functional on their own (Alzheimers Society, 2015). Forth to be examined is the reminiscence techniques. The premise of having psychotherapeutic measures that pertains to the life story of the elderly and how they lived their lives, focusing on the good and minimizing the regrets and resentments from previous events in the old persons’ lives. This approach is proven to improve clients’ mood. Cognitive ability and over-all well-being for clients with mild to moderate dementia. In some way it is inclined and similar to reality orientation approach in aspects of involving relatives and family members who are very close to the client and even those who played enormous roles in the life of the elderly in the past. This will lighten their days knowing that they still know and remember such important events and people. This in turn, will give empowerment, independence and autonomy in accomplishing everyday tasks, as aimed by other techniques of meeting senior client’s needs especially ones with dementia and similar cogni tive difficulties (The Institute of Research and Innovation in Social Services, 2015). Lastly among the techniques utilized for elderly clients, there is the holistic approach. This is mainly involved in simple things that comprises the totality of a client’s life. Included in this approach is the environment of the client. Basic things such as how furniture are arranged, proper lighting at home, reduction of clutters and other potential hazards to the elderly would vastly improve the way they live and can minimize or even eliminate accidents that most of the senior people dreaded. Sometimes this fear of mishaps may cause lack of confidence in doing activities on their own, hence, leading to sedentary life style. This then would have a negative impact on clients’ over-all health and may contribute in further deterioration of physical and psychosocial well-being. To alleviate this and supplement the environmental modification, it is invaluable for the carers to have effective communication with the elderly so that techniques of care will yield favourable o utcomes. Communication can be in a verbal or non-verbal form. It should be assured that both modes of communication are comforting and not threatening to the elderly. The clients will be more compliant and will be more participative in care and activities if carers use proper, polite and effective communication. In addition to environment and communication, there is the aspect of nutrition and engagement to physical activities for the elderly clients. With older clients, nutrition and hydration is very important to maintain good health and avoid discomforts. For example, discomforts caused by difficulty in elimination or constipation. By providing clients with high fibre diet and encouraging them to increase fluid intake, the said discomfort can be significantly reduced. Finally, it is also a must to engage elderly clients in regular physical activities. Every morning exercises, brisk walking around the facility and simple games with balls and hoops can be of great help for the seni ors in stretching their muscles and moving their joints. This will give clients time to spend to socialize with other clients, carers and their family, avoid boredom and minimise development of challenging behaviours. Impacts of equality, culture and diversity on provision of person-centred approach The most observable impact of culture, diversity and equality on person-centred approach of care seems to be positive in nature. Mostly positive in the sense that person-centred approach is all about caring for an individual. Having specific plan of treatment and care for a certain client. Applying individualize measures that would meet the specific needs of a certain individual based on culture is a very good example. While doing this, diversity and equality is being respected and recognized. Impacts of health sector standards and code of practice and other published standards on person-centred practice approach The health sector has established standards, policies and procedures that have made a huge impact on approaches and measures in managing health concerns of the elderly. The main code that affects person-centred approach is the well-known and widely accepted, Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. This is very good in promoting person-centred care because it emphasises on rights of clients not just the elderly but persons with disabilities and those who are vulnerable in the society. The code implies the respect in clients’ privacy, autonomy, dignity, right to fair treatment and appropriate standards of care, right to complete and accurate information and communication, right to support, rights during teaching and research and the right to complain. All of the said rights pertain to the individual and emphasises on respecting the individual as anyone would like to be respected. It is believed that this is the same premise of person-centred approach in one way or another (Health and Disability Commissioner, 2009). Conclusion After analysing various approaches and techniques in managing older people with dementia and other geriatric-related health conditions, such as, person-centred and non-person-centred approach, reality orientation, validation approach, assistive technologies, reminiscence techniques, holistic approach and impacts of equality, culture, diversity and effects of standards and codes of practice in the health sector, it is therefore concluded that people with advance age and are living with symptoms of dementia or age related health concerns benefit the most in care that is inclined in a person-centred type of health management. It is proven that elderly clients live better, maintain or even boost their confidence, retain autonomy or independence, preserve their dignity and have vast improvements in their over-all quality of life with the help of the said techniques and approaches to care which is centred to the seniors themselves. References Alzheimers Society. (2015). Assistive technology devices to help with everyday living Alzheimers Society. Retrieved from http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=109 Health and Disability Commissioner. (2009). Health and Disability Commissioner Code of Rights. Retrieved from http://www.hdc.org.nz The Institute of Research and Innovation in Social Services. (2015). Supporting those with dementia: Reminiscence therapy and life story work IRISS Insights, no.4 | IRISS The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services. Retrieved from http://www.iriss.org.uk/resources/supporting-those-dementia-reminiscence-therapy-and-life-story-work

Developing effective communication in health and social care Essay

In this essay I will be explaining how I use good communication and interpersonal interactions with the residents I will meet on my work experience at a residential home for older people. I will be explaining the skills and strategies I will use to make communication making sure it is effective. My essay will talk about different types of communication for example one to one, with different types of people, including professionals and service users. I will use communication with a variety of people and consider the most appropriate form of communication to be applied making sure the needs of all individuals are met. I will also explain and discuss Argyle’s communication cycle and Tuchman’s group process theory and apply these to my essay in relation to effective communication. My essay will also include an assessment of the skills and strategies used in communication and how they relate to the different theories. Communication is when you swap over information by speaking, writing, or using other methods making sure the communication is received and understood. Interpersonal interaction or communication is the process of sending and receiving information between people, using a two way process of communication. Read more:  Reasons why we communicate  essay The ways individuals communicate with others depend on the situation or the context you are in. There are many types of communication; there is spoken communication like one to one and oral communication with groups of people which is also known as interpersonal interaction. However communicating isn’t always spoken, many people communicate by unspoken communication using facial expressions or sign language. Email, texting and writing are also forms of communication. The formality of our communication can change depending on the context of it. For instance, if you are talking to your friends it will be informal and you will probably use slang. However when talking to a professional like a GP you might talk in your own dialect and it can be informal but the GP is more likely to respond formally, they may also talk in Jargon. When communicating it needs to be effective, effective communication means that when communication we make sure the person can understand and receive the information we are giving. We need to also make sure it is appropriate and clear, communication must achieve an nderstanding and meet the service users needs otherwise it has no purpose. This relates to Argyles communication cycle. Argyle said that effective communication is a two way process, to make the communication effective the person you are communicating with needs to be able to understand the message and decoded it. If the individual cannot do this the communication is not effective. Communication needs to be clear and formal without using slan g or jargon, this will enable the receiver to understand the information and then the message is understood and the cycle can continue. Argyle argued that communication was a two way process and it is a cycle because when two people are communication they need to be able to understand what is being said otherwise the communication is not effective and has no point. Argyles cycle has 6 stages, the first stage is idea; you have an idea in your head that you would like to communicate with other people. The second stage is coding where you think through what you are going to say and make it understandable to the receiver. The third stage is sending the message, you communicate with the receiver either by speaking, writing or in another way. The fourth stage is receiving; the other person receives your message and hears or sees what you say. The fifth stage is when the message is decoded, this is when the person decodes your message and understands what you say. At this point in the cycle if the person cannot understand the message then the cycle stops the communication is not effective. For example when on placement if communicating with a person with dementia, they might not understand you or what you are saying to them. They might become forgetful and feel lost this is when the communication cycle is not effective as the person will have no idea what you are on about. To overcome this I will need find another way of communicating with the resident or find a carer that knows what to do and how to cope in these situations. There are many barriers and reasons on why the communication is not effective, one of these being disabilities. Disabilities are a big barrier within communication this is when you need to change the way you communicate to meet the needs of the service user. The service user in the home could be deaf; if he/she is deaf it is pointless speaking to the person as they won’t understand you. There is no point in raising your voice or speaking clearer to try and make the person understand. You will need to change the way you communicate sign language is a way you can communicate with the person. Deaf people have no problem talking with people who also communicate by BSL. So when in the home if a person is deaf and you cannot communicate with them as you don’t sign find someone that does. Residents in the home might also have sensory impairments meaning they might not be able to see, this is when we would use Braille to communicate. Language is also a barrier to communication, if one of the people in the home speaks French you will need to speak French back. You cannot communicate with someone of another language if you don’t know the language yourself. So you will need to either learn the language or find an interpreter. Culture can also cause communication barriers, some cultures are not allowed to look people in the eye, and they can’t give eye contact or be within a certain amount of space to someone. This means that if someone was 2 arms lengths away from you there is no point talking to them as they won’t be able to understand them, you would either have to write what you want to say down or in the form of a text/email. There are many more barriers to communication that we face daily; you will need to have an idea of what people will be expecting and how they will be expecting to speak when you open your mouth. Another communication theory is Tuckman’s stages of group interaction. Tuckman believed that communication in groups is influenced by the degree in which people feel they belong together. He believed that when people first meet the go through a process involving 4 stages, these being: forming, storming, norming and performing. The first stage is when the group meet for the first time and exchange information, the second stage is further on in the relationship when there is tension in the group causing arguments about the way in which the group may function or act. The third stage of the process is when the group are norming at this point the group are coming together and trying to agree on their group values and beliefs. After this stage everyone will begin to perform effectively as a group. For instance the service users in the residential home might be at the stage or storming/norming. This could be because I will be a new person in the home replacing one of the carers that has been there for many years, the service users might feel very nervous and scared, there might be tension in the group because of this and they might be norming over the carer that left. Tuckman’s theory can help to build relationships with the people in the home and make the communication more effective because it is broken down in stages. This makes it easier to build a relationship with people because in the first stage forming, this is when I as a new member of the team will join the group and exchange information about myself with others. From that point it is up to the people in the home to continue Tuckman’s theory as it is their choice if they accept me into the group. If they accept me then the communication process can continue and we will come together as a group. If I was to build a relationship with the people in the home I need to make sure I have some of the same things in common and I understand what they are going through and how they feel, this all comes down to my values and beliefs and if mine are the same as the groups. Argyles theory also helps to build a relationship with people because to even get the communication cycle started, I will need to understand the resident. I will need to know what is wrong with them, how they feel and if there are any barriers in the way of communication. This is because there is no point in me talking to someone who is deaf. They will not be able to hear me and understand what I’m saying so the communication cycle will stop. However I will be able to overcome this, I need to recognise the barriers and understand how I can get rid of them. For example I can communicate with the deaf person in other ways like using Braille or writing things down as they will be able to see and read. If I overcome this I can help to build a relationship with the people in the home and communication will be effective. However these theories do not work all the time for all people. In some cases it might be very hard to overcome certain barriers for example if the patient is both blind, deaf and cannot understand Braille what do you do. Cases like that are very hard to conquer and in that case the theories are not useful and the communication is not effective. There are many other limitations like language. If there is a person in the home that is French and I only speak German and there are no translators available what should I do? I can’t get a translator because no one in the home translates how I can overcome the barrier. In some cases that will occur in the residential home I will not be able to use the theories of communication. This is because there are limitations and no way to overcome these. This means the communication cycles and processes are not working and the communication is not effective to the residents. Both theories use different skills and strategies to gain effective communication. One of these skills being the appropriate method of communication to make sure they meet the service users needs. In both theories you need to use clear and appropriate communication, this is because if you don’t the service user will not be able to understand you and it will also make the communication not effective. By doing this you could also make the service user uncomfortable so when speaking to a service user you need to make sure you are professional and speak to them with respect and be clear so that they can understand you. This will enable you to create a better relationship with the person as they will be able to understand what you are saying and will be able to communicate back, this will also help you as the service user will then know that they can come and talk to you because they understand you. Jargon is another strategy that should not be used in any cycle, if you use Jargon some people won’t be able to understand you for example someone with learning disabilities won’t be able to understand it if u use Jargon, that is why you need to use an appropriate method of communication. If you do use Jargon then people are unable to decode your message and won’t receive it. This means that the coding you have given them isn’t good enough and clear so they can’t understand. To overcome this you will need to use clear speaking and clarity. In Tuckman’s theory formal communication is a strategy used. It is mainly used at the beginning of the relationship when you are forming as a group and meeting different people. People speak in a formal language because when they meet someone knew they try to give a good impression. However the further in the process the group gets and the more they get to know each other they might start talking with a more informal language and use their own dialect. Another skill that is used in the communication cycle is questioning. Questioning is a good skill to use as u can form relationships with people knowing that you understand them and they understand you. If I use questioning in my placement I will gain a better understanding of them, I will also find out more information about them and I can check that they have understood what I have said to them. By doing this you are able to communicate and make it effective. Listening is a skill I will also use in the placement that is used in both theories for argyles cycle listening is very important. If the person isn’t listening then they won’t understand the message and find it hard to understand what is going on. However in Tuckman’s theory listening helps to understand when in the process the group is at. Listening will help me in my placement as I will be able to learn new things about the residents I will also get ideas about the group I am going into and what stage in Tuckman’s theory I will be entering. This will make me have a better understanding of the model and how the group relate to it and if they also relate to Argyles. However these skills and strategies don’t always apply in all situations. In the home you might find yourself in a situation that you can’t use the skills to help you and you might need to get help form another carer or resident. Sometimes these strategies and skills are hard to use when working with people who have disabilities or speak a different language. This will mean that you will have to find alternative skills to use when communication with people who find it hard to understand. For example if you are communicating with someone of another language these skills and strategies will be hard to use. You won’t be able to keep asking them questions as they don’t understand your language. Also you will need to be careful in what body language you use otherwise some people can take it the wrong way and be offended. They are helpful but some of the times aren’t. For example if your talking to someone with dementia. Tuckman’s theory will not work, this is because people with dementia become forgetful and loos there memory. So using Tuckman’s theory of communication is not very appropriate when you know it wont get to many stages because of the disability. On the other hand Argyles communication cycle is very useful when using interpersonal interaction talking one to one. This is because the cycle goes round in a circle and it is very simple, so if the person cannot decode the message you can just explain it in a different way or make it more simple for them to understand. In conclusion I have found out that there are many different skills and strategies that I can use in my placement to help me use more effective communication with the residents. I have also learnt that both theories fit in to everyday life it just depends on the situation you are in which determines what theory u relate to and the way you use communication. I have also learnt that you need to use good communication and make it effective otherwise it is pointless.

Censorship And The World Of Fahrenheit 451 - 816 Words

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Tony Horwitz The Civil War - 1207 Words

During his childhood, Tony Horwitz became absolutely fascinated with the Civil War. He had books, and toys, and even a hand painted mural. Over the years, he grew up and his enthusiasm waned until, after returning to the US after being away for work, Horwitz and his wife were woken up one morning by gunfire. The gunfire was caused by civil war reenactors who were volunteering for a TV documentary on the Battle of Fredericksburg. Horwitz, having had been a massive civil war buff when he was little, went to talk to the reenactors. There he was introduced to two types of reenactors. One group were called Hardcores, these were the people who would go all out in their authenticity. As Horwitz stated, â€Å"They swore absolute fidelity to the 1860s† (7). They ate only food that the Civil War soldiers would have eaten such as hardtack and salt pork. They were all on very restrictive diets so that they could achieve the sunken-eyed look of underfed soldiers. They recreationally slept outside in the freezing cold merely for authenticities sake. A farb on the other hand was a hardcores exact opposite. Farb stood for â€Å"far-be-it-from-authentic (10). These were the people that took a far more theatrical (and cushiony) approach to reenacting. Farbs were the ones that took modern food and repackaged it into only slightly more authentic packaging. Farbs were also the people that would slaughter themselves in insect repellant, sunscreen, and, worst of all, fake blood (11). Robert Lee HodgeShow MoreRelatedConfederates in the Attic Essay1133 Words   |  5 PagesConfederates in the Attic As Tony Horwitz illustrates in Confederates in the Attic, the Civil War is far from over. Horwitz, determined to find the answers to this conflict, treks through the South, seeking to explain mans longtime obsession with a war that divided the nation. 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