Tuesday 11 February 2014

38 Dementia - Glossary [(Update 3 - 3 March 2014]

Introduction
Prepared by a layman, a list of terms associated with dementia which will be built up in the coming months. Suggestions for terms to be included, comment and corrections will be welcomed.

assessment     A series of tests for a person with memory problems which may result in a need for a specialists diagnosis to confirm either a dementia or some other illness. 

assistive technology    A functional device or system based on one or more technologies which may be used to support a person living with dementia.

dementia    One of several similar but different progressive illnesses of the brain which result in symptoms of varying degrees. 

diagnosis     A specialist's investigation to determine whether a person has one or more dementias and, if so, what. 

shadowing     The way in which some with dementia continously follow their carer or a member of their family, perhaps throughout the day. 

signage    Dementia friendly perceptual and directional aids such as pictures, signs and other decorative features used in rooms, corridors, doorays, and other features of homes, hospital wards, town centres, public buildings and care accommodation. 

 symptoms   Behaviour in varying degrees and incidence which is typical but not exclusive of a person with a dementia, including memory loss, confusion, difficulty in dealing with everyday practicalities, misperceptions, shadowing* and wandering*.    

wandering    The way in which some with dementia will leave their relatively safe and secure home or care accommodation, often repeatedly and go into the local community or beyond. 

Sunday 22 December 2013

Saturday 21 December 2013

37 Dementia Diary - On-going Dating Accountancy for the World

Introduction
In this post I am trying to identify forthcoming events relating to dementia. 

2014
(Date)           Research legacy workshop  
                   Details and date to be ascertained - by Canada and                        France. 
January
20                 Dementia Culture and Ethnicity - Uniting BAME                         Communities in Dementia 
                     Hallam Centre, London 
http://www.blacknet.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=73:whats-on&id=4688:yeccos-2014-conference-dementia-culture-and-ethnicity-uniting-bame-communities-in-dementia&Itemid=613
        
February
4                    One day Essentials - Dementia 
                       RCGP London
14 and 15     16th National Conference on Dementia                                           London,
                       http://www.agewatch.org.uk/dementia-2014/

March
22                  Dementia Awareness Pulic Open Day
                      Oxford ARUK Network Centre, Oxford
May
16 and 17     Alzheimer's Show
                     Olympia, London
                       http://alzheimersshow.co.uk/the-2014-event/
18 to 24        Dementia Awareness Week
                    United Kingdom
November    
4 and 5        Cutting edge information to improve quality of life
                    Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
        http://www.dementiadoctor.co.uk/page_3012321.html
                        

Thursday 19 December 2013

36 Dementia - Housing and Care Homes for those with Dementia

Housing provider teams - planners, designers, developers, housing managers, professional advisers, etc - play an increasingly important role in enabling those with dementia to remain at home for as long as possible. In many respects they are a key to early diagnosis, and hence treatment in a safe and secure environment - their own home. The last sentence reflects the national imperative to reduce hospital admissions of those with dementia. 

From now on dementia does or will reflect, perhaps slowly, in the education, training and continuing professional development of all the team's players. 

Some local dementia action alliances will be developed to include housing as one of the themes. Some will demonstrate the action on this topic to include a closer workng configuration of the following:

  • social care services
  • housing services
  • fire and rescue services.
The first actions are likely to training and career development of staff in terms of:
  • awareness of national and local policy for dementia
  • awareness of the types, symptoms, and life journey with dementia
  • prevalence of diagnosis and its growth
  • the likely impacts of dementia oplanninn community social care, housing,  residential care settings and other services. 
A first approach might be awareness and information sessions for some staff being able to voluntarily become dementia friends. All staff  are likely to need something similar but this might be included in sessions involving work-related topics on dementia. for housing these might include:
  • planning and development aspects for dementia 
  • design of housing and care settings for dementia
  • design of green infrastructure (gardens, open spaces etc) for dementia
  • interior retro-design and retro-furnishing 
  • built-in or retro-fitted assistive technology in the homes and care settings for  those with dementia