Unit 313. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Dementia Care and Practice.

I have been in care for a while and started out as a health care support worker so I have seen all different levels of progression with all different types of dementia. However the importance of early diagnosis is the same.

A few ways you can interact with an individual in an inclusive way could be allowing them to be fully involved in their daily life, allowing them to make their own decisions about their own care needs. You should take a genuine interest in the individual and be respectful towards them. You should try be open to a person’s needs, beliefs, wishes, culture and views, don’t be judgmental and assume you know the individual.

Current legislation and government policy were put in place to ensure that care providers provide the best possible care for dementia patients. Government equally provide funding to improve care environments to help to manage the condition of people with dementia as they are less likely to get confused or become distressed within an environment designed with their needs in mind.

2.1: Describe how current legislation, government policy and agreed ways of working support inclusive practice for dementia care and support

A proper diagnosis of dementia is essential, in order to rule out other conditions that may have symptoms similar to dementia and that may be treatable, including depression, chest and urinary infections, severe constipation and brain tumours . Also to rule out other possible causes of confusion, such as poor sight or hearing; emotional changes and upsets, such as moving or bereavement; or the side-effects of certain drugs or combinations of drugs. Folllow up diagnosis can enable a patient to access advice, information and support

Diversity means people of different sexes, ages that all have their own different experiences, attitudes, beliefs and preferences. Equality means treating everyone fairly and making equal opportunities available. Inclusion involves making the individual the centre of their life, involving them in everything that is about them so that they are actively involved in all aspects of their life, care and support.

It is important to identify individual’s specific and unique needs so that they can receive the best care possible. Taking a person centred approach is vital, treating a service user as an individual person and acknowledge that

Early diagnosis of dementia can have a huge impact on the individual and their family and friends.

Instead of treating all people with dementia the same – it makes the care you give

• Every individual, including individuals with dementia, has their unique life history, lifestyle, culture and preferences, including their likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests, which makes an individualised approach in care necessary.

Unit 4222-303 Promote equality and inclusion in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings

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

The main motives include providing more knowledge and understanding of dementia and also its effect on behaviour as well as it progression rate. Provide carers with an impressive understanding of available local support services and how they can be accessed. It also aims at assisting in surpassing the shock relating to an initial diagnosis of dementia as well as ways to maximize life and well-being.

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

In the United States by 2012 there has been approximately 5.5 million people diagnosed with dementia (“What is Dementia?”, 2012). Dementia symptoms can begin as early as age 45 and the risk of getting doubles every 5 years. More women have been diagnosed with dementia than men but no reasons have been found as to why (“What is Dementia?”, 2012).