As regular readers of D4Dementia will know, I’ve long been a supporter (including through the National Dementia Action Alliance Campaign ‘Dementia Words Matter’) of using respectful language – as defined by people living with dementia – when communicating about dementia. I…
Tag: challenging behaviour
Action for dementia care and support – Changes associated with dementia
Welcome to the last of my five blog posts for UK Dementia Action Week 2018 (DAW2018). This year Dementia Awareness Week is renamed Dementia Action Week to reflect the need for action for people affected by dementia rather than only focusing on awareness. In this…
When behaviour changes…
Last week I began a series of roundtable sessions with the staff of one of my social care consultancy clients looking at changed behaviour for people who are living with dementia. The topics for discussion are pretty diverse, everything from…
When losing, hiding or hoarding items becomes a problem
In May 2013 I wrote a blog post entitled ‘What is dementia?’ about the symptoms of dementia. I wanted to explore the different ways in which a person’s dementia might manifest itself to reinforce the message that dementia isn’t all…
Routine, routine, routine
With a New Year often comes resolutions to change our routines. Things we’ve always done, that perhaps aren’t so good for us, are intended to be banished in favour of routines that are healthier or that we perceive are better…
How dementia and personality interact
We talk A LOT in dementia care about how dementia changes a person. Often it’s distilled down into very negative language, and bracketed as ‘challenging behaviour’ (a phrase I dislike immensely). Yet, the spectrum of change is immense, very personal…
Reframing the reporting about violent older people in hospitals
Recently the BBC ran a story that over 75’s are responsible for 57% of physical assaults on NHS staff in hospitals. These assaults range from biting and pinching through to some of the most serious attacks that are recorded. In…
Sectioning people with dementia
Over the four years I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve met or been contacted by many families whose loved ones with dementia have been sectioned (detained in hospital without consent under the Mental Health Act). Sometimes the sectioning has occurred…
Don’t let the sun go down on me
Of all the words associated with the various symptoms and effects that dementia can have on a person, ‘sundowning’ is one of the most curious. It is a word to describe when a person with dementia becomes more active and/or distressed…
Supporting a person with anxiety
Anxiety is commonly mentioned as one of a raft of symptoms linked to the development and progression of dementia. It is thought that dementia can both exacerbate anxiety in those who have a history of being anxious, and also bring…
A precious gift
I’ve often thought about what the most precious gift is that you could give a person with dementia in the absence of a cure. I’ve written before about the importance of love, but I suspect that if I asked a…
Getting to the heart of unmet needs
Interpreting what someone with advancing dementia needs can often feel like a bit of a guessing game. If the person with dementia is struggling to articulate their needs and wishes in a way that the intended recipient of their communication…
Carer’s questions – Is this normal?
Welcome to the sixth of my seven ‘mini’ blogs for UK Carers Week 2014. As regular readers of this blog know, I cared for my father for 19 years during his vascular dementia. For the majority of that time, however, I never…
