Building Dementia Confidence

Building Dementia Confidence

Steps towards dementia confidence Know the facts

Examine our attitudes

Face our fears

Come together

Dementia Friends

A new Alzheimer’s Society initiative Create Dementia Friendly Communities

by recruiting 1 million Dementia Friends by March 2015

A Dementia Friend needs to know 5 key facts

And make a commitment as to how they can turn that understanding into action

No action is too small

Key Fact 1:Dementia is not the same as normal ageing

As you grow older do you find: You forget people’s names more easily? Words won’t come as easily? Getting to the top of the stairs and

thinking ‘what did I come up here for?’ Your brain generally does not seem

quite as ‘whizzy’ as it used to be? If so, DON’T WORRY – THIS IS NORMAL!

Key Fact 2:Dementia is caused by brain disease

See the GP if: Not just forgetting names and details but whole

events or conversations Memories do not come back even with

prompting Getting lost in familiar, rather than new, places Finding it difficult to keep up with events and

becoming disorientated Frequently repeating conversations Signs of progression in terms of frequency and

severity of problems

Healthwatch

If you are not happy with the response of your GP please get in touch with Healthwatch

New organisation to help people find the health and social care services they need and make their voices heard

Causes of dementia

%

AlzheimerVascularLewy bodyOther

Things that may get confused with dementia Depression

Delirium

Vitamin B deficiency

Hypothyroidism

Dr Elizabeth Milwain: [email protected]

Number of cases rises with age

Age 60 - 69

1 in 50

Age 70 - 79

1 in 20

Age 80 - 89

1 in 5

Key Fact 3:Dementia is more than just memory loss

Symptoms of dementia

Core features: Memory – new learning Thinking – drawing everything together Planning and decision-making

Specific difficulties: Language Knowledge – old learning Spatial awareness Visual perception

Key Fact 4:There is more to a person than just their dementia

The Brain

15

Brains within brains

Cortex

Limbic system

Brain stem

Vital functionsAutomatic behaviours

Understanding me

Understanding of the wider world

The contracting bubble

The world beyond what I can see (memory)The world I can see (vision)

My body(feeling)

18

Adaptation is the key

‘Normal life’

• Information• Thinking• Goals• Complex• Remembere

d• Fast

‘Life in the moment’

• Emotion• Sensing• Experiences• Simple• Enjoyed• Slow

Key Fact 5:It is possible to live well with dementia

What causes suffering?

Isolated

Worthless

Failing

What do people with dementia need? To feel safe

To feel they have control

To feel valued Personhood I-Thou versus I-It

What is dignity?

Looks?

Independence?

Meeting between personsStandard

Effect of dementia

Therapeutic relationship

Support: too much for one person

Person

CarerOthers

25

Easy to say, but hard to do

Grief

Hurt

Guilt

Tired‘Normal

life’‘Life in

the moment’

Why are others so reluctant? Affected families often do not

welcome offers of help – stigma and denial are big problems

Most of us experience disabling emotions in the face of dementia: Fear Distaste Grief Guilt

Natural movements of care

“Aaahh!”

“Aaahh”?Or

“Eeww”?

Coming together:Ideas for Dementia Friends Action

Understand more about it Change your own attitude – learn to stand against the

difficult emotions Challenge (but with sensitivity please) the attitudes of

others Get alongside someone you know who is affected:

be willing to try be willing to feel uncomfortable be willing to get it wrong

Volunteer in your local community: Support groups Befriending of couples in which one has dementia

Resources Look at the books on the table Gaynor Hammond’s books are especially

good Resource lists, details of helpful organisations

and other useful guides are available on the Diocese of Bradford website – or get in touch with Jacqui Hand if you would like hard copies

Please fill out the interest form if you would like me to keep you informed of events and developments

If you want to be counted as a Dementia Friend please put your hand up now

When I get the badges I will provide a supply to Jacqui Hand – if you would like a badge please put your name and contact details on the sign up sheet on the resources table

If you are on the internet visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk to sign up as a Dementia Friend and register your action (helpful for the Alzheimer’s Society if you do this)