On January 10, 2024, Visiting Angels facilitated in their office in Eridge Green a free dementia training given by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. They sent Gareth, a fantastic trainer with much hands-on experience as a hospital nurse. Thank you, Gareth!
A person suffering with dementia with challenging behaviour is only challenging behaviour to us. Patients cannot change their behaviour because they are ill but we can. At Visiting Angels, we provide this type of person-centred care. It is part of every client’s care plan.
A valuable piece of advice is about the “This is Me” form, a form which you be downloaded from the UK Alzheimer’s Society.
Below an excerpt from the website of the Alzeimer’s Society:
‘This is me’ is a simple leaflet for anyone receiving professional care who is living with dementia or experiencing delirium or other communication difficulties.
A support tool to enable person-centred care
‘This is me’ can be used to record details about a person who can’t easily share information about themselves. For example, it can be used to record:
- a person’s cultural and family background
- important events, people and places from their life
- their preferences and routines.
The leaflet can be used in any setting – at home, in hospital, in respite care or in a care home.
‘This is me’ helps health and social care professionals better understand who the person really is, which can help them deliver care that is tailored to the person’s needs.
It can therefore help to reduce distress for people with dementia and their carers. It can also help to overcome problems with communication, and prevent more serious conditions such as malnutrition and dehydration.
‘It is a brilliant, simple product which I highly recommend.’
– Carer of a person living with dementia
Now in its fourth edition, ‘This is me’ has been endorsed by the Royal College of Nursing since 2010. The latest edition includes changes that were suggested by people living with dementia, carers and health and social care professionals.