Incensed. Appalled. Outraged. Indeed there are a plethora of words to describe how I felt on hearing reports of a rise in suspected cases of elder abuse in England, but I’m not sure any of them accurately do my feelings…
Tag: hospitals
Diagnosis – The day and the aftermath
Given that dementia is one of the most feared, if indeed not THE most feared disease in the UK and beyond, you could probably turn the moment of diagnosis (worldwide a new diagnosis of dementia is made every four seconds)…
Restraints – The dark side of care?
“They kick, punch and bite us, what do you expect us to do?” The words of a social care worker caring for people in a residential dementia unit, explaining why they sometimes have to physically restrain their residents or request…
Understanding aggression
Like so many dementia symptoms, aggression is often misunderstood, leading to inappropriate interventions. It is popular to portray people with dementia as angry and out of control, aggressive and unmanageable, frightening and dangerous. Extreme examples of aggression that lead to…
A good end-of-life
Given our aversion to talking about death and dying, the idea of a good end-of-life isn’t something that has been widely debated. Yet for people who are diagnosed with a terminal disease, like dementia, knowing what would represent a good end…
Paid to care
When you go into any care setting, either as someone needing care or their family, you naturally expect that everyone who is looking after you or your loved one has been given all the skills that they need to provide…
Be kind to each other
There is something incredibly simple, natural, easy to deliver, easy to comprehend, wanted, needed and with a huge power to heal that I believe everyone desires when they interact with a fellow human being. It’s almost indefinable, and yet when…
Part 2) When a label isn’t enough
***This is a two part blog post*** Please read: Part 1) When a label isn’t enough Regardless of how much the government needs clear statistics of exactly how many people have dementia in the UK, presumably so that they can…
Don’t ignore me
Everyone with dementia has the right to expression, yet a lot of dementia care still focuses on imposing the will of the care provider on the person, rather than assessing what the person themselves actually wants. Even people with an…
When illness strikes…
Dementia brings so many concerns for the wellbeing of those who are living with it, not least the risk posed by infections. Whenever my father was struck down by a bug, suddenly we would be plunged into a world of…