In the strange pandemic on/off lockdown world we’ve lived in for the past 18 months, maintaining focus on tasks and activities has, for many people, become really difficult. This isn’t a new feeling for many people with dementia, however, who…
Tag: independence
Coronavirus and living with dementia – Coping in unprecedented times
It’s not easy to know where to begin with a blog on the current monumentally uncertain times that the world is facing, but I’m going to attempt to address the coronavirus disaster (I don’t think the word crisis goes far…
Home sweet home
I seem to have found myself quoting a particular statistic so much in the last few weeks that it is now imprinted in my mind: Alzheimer’s Society: Fix Dementia Care Homecare report I include this stat in my dementia training…
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…
I need you
In my 2013 blog post ‘What is dementia’ I focused on the symptoms of dementia, noting the following amongst my very long list of ways in which a person can be affected by dementia: “An increasing need for reassurance (someone…
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…
Living with dementia in your own home
Whenever a report on dementia talks about what people with dementia want, enabling the person to remain in their own home for as long as possible usually features pretty highly. A diagnosis of dementia should never mean that you have…
Harnessing the power of observation
I feel very strongly that one of the most important attributes anyone providing care and support to a person with dementia can have is the ability to observe. In our helter-skelter, multi-tasking lives it’s easy to lose the quietly reflective…
Repetition, repetition, repetition
One of the symptoms of dementia that those around the person with dementia find most difficult to cope with is repetition. Families and professionals alike often express frustration, leading onto exasperation, which often ends in irritation and possibly even an…
Reablement for people with dementia
As we approach Easter, a time associated with rebirth, new life, possibility and opportunity, I have found myself thinking about how this correlates with the experience of living with dementia. Historically, a diagnosis of dementia has been seen as a…
A helping hand
When a loved one is living with dementia, it is inevitable that a time will come when they will need additional help and support. A person with dementia may be very resistant to any intervention from any individual, and who…
On the move
For everyone who is fortunate enough to be able to move around independently, I would estimate that most take that for granted. Likewise, I would suggest that one of the key ideas people have about ageing is that immobility is…
Risk verses reward
I’m not quite sure when it happened, but it seems that wrapping human beings up in cotton wool has become a habit that many individuals and organisations are struggling to get out of. Prime candidates for this approach are anyone who…
