A younger onset dementia toolkit: Innovative practice

Dementia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1299-1307
Author(s):  
Caroline Vafeas ◽  
Elisabeth Jacob ◽  
Alycia Jacob
Keyword(s):  
Expert Panel ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Community Environment ◽  
Innovative Practice ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Family ◽  
Specific Care ◽  
The Individual

A diagnosis of younger onset dementia requires specific care tailored to the individual and the family. Dementia care workers often do not have the skills and experience necessary to offer this care within the residential and community environment. This article reports the development of an interactive resource to educate those employed to care for people living with younger onset dementia. Prescription for Life, a talking e-Flipbook was developed and piloted in two states of Australia. Feedback from the pilots was incorporated in the resource prior to a national rollout. The project was supported by an expert panel, including experts from national aged care providers.

scholarly journals A Multiple Stakeholder Perspective for Evaluating Community-Based Dementia Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 60-61
Author(s):  
Johan Suen
Keyword(s):  
Dementia Care ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Relational Factors ◽  
Care Relationships ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Abstract For holistic interventions and research on dementia, it is fundamental to understand care experiences from the perspectives of carers, care recipients, and care professionals. While research on care dyads and triads have highlighted the effects of communication and interactional aspects on care relationships, there is a lack of knowledge on how individual-contextual and relational factors shape the provision and receipt of care in terms of decision-making processes, resource allocation, and expectations of care outcomes. Thus, this paper sheds light on (i) how carers negotiate care provision with other important life domains such as employment, household/family roles and conflicts, as well as their own health problems, life goals, values, and aspirations for ageing; (ii) how older adults with dementia perceive support and those who provide it; (iii) the structural constraints faced by care professionals in delivering a team-based mode of dementia care; and, taken together, (iv) how community-based dementia care is impeded by barriers at the individual, relational, and institutional levels. Findings were derived from semi-structured interviews and observational data from fieldwork conducted with 20 persons with dementia (median age = 82), 20 of their carers (median age = 60), and 4 professional care providers. All respondents were clients and staff of a multidisciplinary and community-based dementia care system in Singapore. Our analysis indicates the impact of dementia care is strongly mediated by the interplay between institutional/familial contexts of care provision and the various ‘orientations’ to cognitive impairment and seeking support, which we characterised as ‘denial/acceptance’, ‘obligated’, ‘overprotective’, and ‘precariously vulnerable’.

scholarly journals The benefit and burden of "ageing-in-place" in an aged care community

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Horner ◽  
Duncan P Boldy
Keyword(s):  
Research Study ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Older Person ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Care Community ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Individual

Ageing-in-place is usually viewed as a positive approach to meeting the needs of the older person, supporting them to live independently, or with some assistance, for as long as possible. It implies that older people prefer to live in their own home, rather than in an institution or care centre. However, there is little in the literature about the implications of ageing-in-place for the individual or their carers, or the burden this can place on service providers and aged care communities. In an action research study that investigated the complexities and challenges of change in an aged care community in Western Australia, the implications of ageing-in-pace were apparent. The study revealed how residents expressed a desire to agein- place and identified it as a critical element of quality of life and an important component of social connection. The findings also revealed the burden of ageing-in-place on carers, family and the organisation, and sufficient attention must also be paid to the wider impact on the individual, the family and carers.

Understanding the Factors of Children Missing/Running Away from Home in Malaysia

2013 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadijah Alavi ◽  
Salina Nen ◽  
Mohd Suhaimi Mohamad ◽  
Norulhuda Sarnon ◽  
Fauziah Ibrahim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Living Environment ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Push Factors ◽  
Community Environment ◽  
Running Away ◽  
Missing Children ◽  
The Family ◽  
Main Components ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Depth Interviews

Statistics issued by the Royal Malaysian Police show that the number of missing children cases in 2009 was 53, while the figure increased to 54 cases in 2010. The increase in the number of missing children from 2009 to 2010 remains unexplained. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the factors and reasons why children go missing in Malaysia. The study was conducted using qualitative methods. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using semi-structure questions. Respondents were selected from the missing children list obtained from the Criminal Investigation Department, Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), Bukit Aman, for the years 2009 and 2010. Findings of the study classify the reasons into two main factors, the push factors and the pull factors, that cause children to go missing from home. Push factors consist of three main components: the individual, the family and the living environment. While the pull factors were divided into two components: peers influence and the community environment. We conclude that the majority of missing/run away children come from family conflicts. Thus, we propose well-structured prevention and interventions programs in order to protect and prevent children from running away from home.

scholarly journals Large-scale training in the essentials of dementia care in Australia: Dementia Care Skills for Aged Care Workers project

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S53-S57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Fleming ◽  
Diana FitzGerald
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Research Education ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Making A Difference ◽  
National Programs

ABSTRACTDementia has been identified as a national health priority in Australia. National programs in the areas of research, education and training have been established. The Dementia Care Skills for Aged Care Workers program is a three-year project that commenced in 2006. It has the goal of providing training in the essentials of dementia care to 17,000 staff of aged care services across Australia. Successful completion of the training results in the award of a nationally recognized qualification. Although the delivery of the training has been difficult in some areas – because of the long distances to be covered by trainers and trainees, a wide range of cultural backgrounds, and difficulties in finding staff to cover for people attending the training – the seven training organizations providing this training are on target to meet the goal. The project is being evaluated independently. The anecdotal reports available to date strongly suggest that the training is being well received and is making a difference to practice.A surprisingly large proportion of attendees (9%) have been registered nurses, which demonstrates the need among this group of staff for training in the care of people with dementia.

scholarly journals What constitutes ‘good’ home care for people with dementia? An investigation of the views of home care service recipients and providers

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita M. Y. Goh ◽  
Meg Polacsek ◽  
Sue Malta ◽  
Colleen Doyle ◽  
Brendan Hallam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Home Care Services ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Home Care Workers

Abstract Background Our objective was to explore what people receiving and providing care consider to be ‘good’ in-home care for people living with dementia. Methods We conducted 36 in-depth interviews and two focus groups with key stakeholders in Australia in the first quarter of 2018. Participants included those receiving care (4 people living with dementia, 15 family carers) or providing care (9 case managers, 5 service managers, 10 home care workers). Qualitative thematic analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach. Results Consensus was reached across all groups on five themes considered as important for good in-home dementia care: 1) Home care workers’ understanding of dementia and its impact; 2) Home care workers’ demonstrating person-centred care and empathy in their care relationship with their client; 3) Good relationships and communication between care worker, person with dementia and family carers; 4) Home care workers’ knowing positive practical strategies for changed behaviours; 5) Effective workplace policies and workforce culture. The results contributed to the co-design of a dementia specific training program for home care workers. Conclusions It is crucial to consider the views and opinions of each stakeholder group involved in providing/receiving dementia care from home care workers, to inform workforce training, education program design and service design. Results can be used to inform and empower home care providers, policy, and related decision makers to guide the delivery of improved home care services. Trial registration ACTRN 12619000251123.

“Compassion Fatigue” is a Misnomer: How Compassion Can Increase Quality of Life

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-252
Author(s):  
Jennifer DeDecker
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Individual

Health-care workers are at risk of experiencing negative consequences for their own health and job performance due to a wide variety of stressors. Care providers suffer from varying expressions of a generalized symptom set that has been termed “burnout” or “compassion fatigue.” These terms can help us understand the phenomenon that is happening in our health system, but a strong understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological implications will increase the efficacy of treatment and benefit of preventive care. This article asserts that the term “compassion fatigue” is a misnomer, resulting in a misunderstanding of the causes and effects of compassion on the individual. This article challenges the term, positing that it has become outdated based on what we now know about the neuroscience of compassion, empathy, and mindfulness. Instead, this discussion offers the relevance of the term “empathic distress leading to empathic distress fatigue,” suggesting that contemplative practice, mindfulness, and compassion training can protect and empower health-care providers.

Caveat patiens — ethical dilemmas in decision -making

Open Medicine ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 390-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
June McKoy ◽  
Judith McKoy
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Organ Transplant ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Potential Donor ◽  
Opting Out ◽  
The Family ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
The Individual

AbstractMore than 99,358 men, women and children are on organ transplant lists in the United States. Pressure on family members to donate organs can therefore be intense. The medical excuse was created to address this potential coercion. It is a fabricated anatomical or physiological reason given to a donor (with or without the donor’s request) that provides an immediate shield against coercive pressure by family and friends on the potential donor. While the long-term risks and benefits of the medical excuse have not been studied, they could arguably include: 1) Reinforced perception that donation is expected; hence, declining donation is aberrant, and requires legitimization by external authority; 2) Eroded family trust of transplant physicians; 3) Eroded family trust in the individual reporting a “true” medical excuse; 4) Falsification of potential donor’s medical record; 5) Development of “toxic secrets” in the family unit; 6) Paternalism; and 7) General erosion of trust in both health care providers and the healthcare system. This author proposes a system of transparent and balanced communication where both the potential donor and the transplant team are clearly cognizant of the voluntary nature of the purported donation and where provisions for “opting-out” occur at any point along the pre-transplantation continuum.

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