This article analyzes the educational aspect of those with dementia while making decisions on nursing home care and end of life arrangements. The authors conducted a study that concluded persons with dementia and their families either lack complete understanding of the decisions or overwhelmed with emotions while finalizing decisions. The article states that social workers are best fit for assisting the person with dementia and their families with developing the advanced directions. However, social workers need to gain medical knowledge in order to increase their competency in this aspect of care. The reader finds this article to be very helpful in addressing the importance of adequate medical knowledge to provide holistic care. McGovern, J. (2011). Couple meaning-making and Dementia: Challenges to the Deficit Model. Journal of Geronotological Social Work, 54(7), 678-690. doi:10.1080/01634372.2011.593021 …show more content…
A strengths-based perspective has the ability to reduce conflict between couples/families, as well as foster a better quality of life for the person with dementia. The importance of positive communication, togetherness and care are major areas of focus throughout the article. The author highlighted the renewed connection between the caregiver and the person with dementia. This article provided the reader with an alternative perspective and reminder to remain positive. The information obtained from McGovern will assist in applying a strength-based perspective to the reader’s clinical
• In order to understand the situation an individual with dementia, and help most effectively, we need to look at situations from the point of view of the person with dementia.
As Brooker (2007, pp. 24-26) discusses the benefits of supportive models that recognise the struggles of a person living with dementia and how it can impact their social standing and therefore relationships. In addition how the world of a person with cognitive impairment needs emotional and spiritual support, as well as sensory and creative support, to be encouraged and empowered to remain positively functioning and enjoying their relationships and their environments.
The next few themes of this article include the discussion of pain, loss of pleasure in life, and the right time to die. The carers felt responsible to prevent their loved ones from experiencing pain and suffering all of their later years of life. They stated that caring for someone they loved with dementia that was extremely unhappy with their quality of life brought up ideas of assisted suicide. They exclaimed that seeing their patient disintegrate in quality of life and in overall health that it was difficult to not consider assisted suicide. Several participants came to a conclusion that their relative was strictly waiting to die because they had suffered enough which made them want to end the pain for them.
In addition, as a social worker in a nursing home it is important to look at the eight domains of palliative care which include “the structure and processes of care, physical aspects of care, psychosocial and psychiatric aspects of care, social aspects of care, spiritual, religious, and existential aspects of care, cultural aspects of care; care of a dying patient, and ethical and legal aspects of care” (Bern-Klug, 2017). Furthermore, a social worker needs to have competence and knowledge in several areas such as medical knowledge, understanding different types of diseases and other things that can affect a resident and a social worker could have many roles and duties which include admission, pre-admission screening, advance directives, discharge planning, care planning and MDS assessment, and doing all the other paperwork required in a nursing home facility.
The Relational-Centered Intervention according to Morhardt & Spira (2013) focuses on the constructed relationships established between Mr. B’s and his family and friends. By using the relational-centered intervention the focus on the dynamic and the many dimensions of Mr. B’s relationships from the onset and throughout the course of his cognitive decline and illnesses and can encourage and foster reciprocity and caring especially between Mr. B and his children such as Judy who is trying to become his primary caregiver (Morhardt & Spira, 2013). Judy would be advised to take a collaborative approach with her father in the domains of healthcare and financial management. According to Morhardt & Spira (2013) communication that occurs at the early onset of the illness such as dementia will help establish their relational dynamics, reduce anxiety by allowing Mr. B to feel he is part of his own decision making and create secure directions that encompass Mr. B’s values and
Focusing on dementia, it is not constantly possible to involve the dementia sufferers in the decision making course of their care without encouragement and assistance by
Although, according to Williamson, “many caregivers adapt quite well to their role” (Williamson). Before my pap started losing his memory, I didn’t realize how hard it was to watch a loved one with this disease, let alone care for a patient with Alzheimer’s. According to an article that explains a few coping strategies for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease, “caregivers of people with dementia experience high rates of clinically significant anxiety and depression” (Cooper). This article explains various emotion-focused strategies, problem-focused strategies, and dysfunction-focused strategies for those caring for a person with Alzheimer’s. An experiment was conducted on caregivers of patient who have Alzheimer’s that explains which of these strategies were
Dementia patients rely and wholly depend on their caregivers to ensure that they are kept safe and properly cared for. In my distinct role as caregiver and advocate, I need to implement a therapeutic approach not only in dealing with my patient, but also with those around him. Significantly, observing therapeutic communication at all times is integral to building that trusting nurse-patient relationship. Once that relationship was established, it provided for a little bit of understanding of my patient’s way of thinking as well as a chance to evaluate and rationalize some of my own biases. Although, establishing clear boundaries proved to be a challenge for patients who are afflicted with dementia, constant reinforcement with my patient proved to be therapeutic. Similarly, since the patient’s behavioral disturbances stemmed from his mental condition and further aggravated by the progression of the disease, I can only therapeutically minimize and control external stimuli that triggers his
For an individual with dementia person centred care is characterised by the need to value people with dementia, to treat them as individuals, to view the world from their perspective and to create a positive environment (Brooker 2004). Sheard (2004) review on health services found that often services consider the needs of people with dementia and their carers separately. Kitwood’s (1997) approach offers all health care professionals a way to care for an individual with dementia, however it does not take into consideration the importance of the interaction among people as the foundation of any therapeutic or healing activity in health care. Post (2001) supports this statement and suggests that living with dementia is not about quality of life but rather about quality of lives. Wadensten and Carlsson (2003) suggestion that the most common models of nursing dementia patients provide little more than guidance on how to work positively with older adults. Sheard (2004) therefore called for a development of an approach where an individual with dementia is seen within the context of important and significant relationships. Nolan et al. (2004) therefore argues that RCC is one of the most comprehensive ways of doing this in order to promote a more holistic vision of health care to include; social, economic, environmental and culture into care practice.
Some people believe that the medical conditions that a person has besides dementia are not related because older people normally need more medical assistance when they get older. However, dementia when diagnosed, is known for causing more medical related problems like depression. “Tracking the mental health of grandchildren and their grandparents showed that both adult grandchildren and their grandparents showed fewer symptoms of depression if they maintained an emotionally close relationship.” This evidence proves that depression cause by dementia can be decreased when the victim keeps a close bond with a loved one. “He sits with her and tells her about his day, asks her about hers. The conversations are pretty one-sided, but she is a hugely important person to him.” This evidence proves how people suffering from these symptoms of depression can be impacted in such a beautiful way even though they most of the time don’t understand. “ The residents would just light up when my children accompanied me and reach for them. To me it was both wonderful and sad.” This evidence also proves how people affected are greatly impacted by this
I will seek to recruit 6-7 couples who are living with dementia. People living with dementia is a term that is inclusive of the person with dementia and their carer. Majority of carers are family members. I will recruit a purposive sample of people living with dementia by approaching local branches of The Alzheimer’s Society, Liverpool Dementia Action Alliance and TIDE (Together In Dementia Everyday – a support group for carers).
Moreover, in the caregiver’s support group the members shared their experiences on a level of informed love, and all accepted the unconditional support from the facilitators and other members. Furthermore, when a client shares personal life experiences, the regard for themselves is raised, thus leading to furthering their therapeutic goals (Sparrow, 2008). Per Sparrow (2008), love or agape should be included in therapy, along with unconditional positive regard, and empathy. Per Burnes & Ross (2010) there are many groups who are marginalized within a group setting, however, in the Alzheimer’s caregiver’s support group, the caregivers were all equal in sharing the same battles of caring for their loved one. The one constant is that Alzheimer’s does not discriminate among races, cultures, or belief
Caregivers play a crucial role in the care of dementia patients. Providing care for dementia patients results in stress related health impacts to the caregiver. The caregivers go through a journey with the dementia patient and need a strong support system. The best approach to dementia care is for health care providers to provide information to and monitor the caregiver, in addition to the dementia patient, encourage the caregiver to take care of themselves, to seek support, and to work as a team to provide the best care for the dementia patient.
Effective communication is crucial to the physical and emotional well-being of the person with dementia.
The social model of dementia is about the person, and how it affects individuals. The social model of care seeks to understand the emotions and behaviours of the person with dementia by placing him or her within context of his or her social circumstances and biography or in other word he is in centre of everything of the planning. By learning about each person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background, care and support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs such as ‘can do’ area and build on these areas rather than looking at the problematic.