1. by serious loss of cognitive ability in
their illness and the person left inside of people trying to communicate and
some way during their lifetime and
is forgotten. express themselves so we look at why
over 90% of all people admitted into We had hosted training a person is behaving in a certain way
care homes in the future will have a
programmes from other organisations and what we can do to help.
dementia, a trend that will be but they were ineffective. For instance, We have seen a decrease in the use
exacerbated by rising life they taught us how to deal with of neuroleptics (drugs that modify
expectancy. 'aggressive behaviour', but not once psychotic symptoms, including
So we viewed the launch of the
were we told that such behaviour symptoms of bipolar disorder,
National Dementia Strategy in 2009 as
could be a way of communicating an schizophrenia, delusional disorder and
unmet need. psychotic depression) across our care
Dementia care at Kingsley After reading about the work homes, these drugs are not
Healthcare Mandy Masters David was doing it all fell into place.
For years we have delivered good
appropriate for dementia as they are
used for these other disorders but are
an opportunity to review the way we physical care, but as an industry we prescribed for people as a way of
care for people living with a dementia have all failed to notice that we were managing certain behaviours, instead
and came to the conclusion that we not meeting the basic human needs of of looking at the meaning behind the
needed to change the way that care is the people we look after - love, social behaviour as an unmet need.
delivered. inclusion and emotional wellbeing. People are busy and occupied
For example, it was clear that Dementia Care Matters shows how during the day and therefore are
insufficient attention was paid to this can be achieved by changing the sleeping better at night. Staff wear
people's emotional needs. When way we go about our everyday work. pyjamas whilst working at night to
spouses and family members asked The metaphor of a butterfly is used to help people see that it is night time
about our facilities they tended to illustrate how care can be delivered in and therefore okay to go to bed.
focus on the physical wellbeing of a more natural way. Staff need to 'flit' Of course, such an approach
their husband/wife or relative - are between people, sometimes being requires investment in training,
inding the most appropriate way
F of looking after people living with
a dementia is possibly the greatest
challenge facing the care home
they dressed properly, have they
educate them that people living with a
dementia need to feel they still have
still, other times actively connecting
brushed their hair. We are working to with the person they are caring for.
Another issue that David has
highlighted is that there are different
mentoring, coaching in the home and
direct consultancy with managers.
However, the return on this investment
is considerable in terms of improved
industry. The solution lies in changing
some control over their lives, which stages of dementia (early, mid and reputation and we are being
the way staff interact with people, says
means it is okay if they want to wear late) and that each stage requires recognised by county councils for our
Mandy Masters, Operations Director
three jumpers or not brush their hair. It different skills from staff to meet that innovative work. It is important to
for Dementia Care and Specialist
is about people still be in control of person's needs - most other training state that there is no need to increase
Services at Kingsley Healthcare Group.
their lives and maintaining their programmes have a 'one size fits all' staff numbers to accommodate this
According to the Alzheimer's
independence for as long as possible. approach. approach - the whole point is to teach
Research Trust, there were about
Poor dementia care is a factor in He uses an audit tool called the staff to work in a different way. The
820,000 people with dementia in the
why some care home placements fail, quality of interactions schedule (QUIS) model of care is achievable with a
UK last year. The illness affects both
although this is often because care to assess the lived experience of staffing level of 1- 5, with the layout
men and women and while it mainly
homes are so task-focused that they people living with a dementia who are of the building and dependency levels
affects older people, there are 15,000
lose sight of what really matters; the in a care home environment. A series also taken into consideration.
people in the UK under the age of 65
needs of the individual. of five minute observations are made It is inevitable that future social
who have it.
Of course, we need to ensure over a number of two hour periods in services placements will favour care
Dementia describes a range of
everyone has their physical needs met communal living areas, such as homes that provide better services for
symptoms including memory loss,
in a sensitive way, whether that is lounges or dining rooms. The level and people living with a dementia. In its
problems with reasoning and
helping them to wash and get dressed quality of interactions are observed 2010-2015 action plan for older
communication skills and a reduction
or making sure their beds are made and coded. There is also a 'script' people - including people living with
in a person's ability to carry out daily
and their laundry is done. However, written by the observer, which can dementia - the Care Quality
activities. Types of dementia vary from
this should happen throughout the record significant comments or words Commission (CQC) identified ensuring
mild cognitive impairment - where the
day rather than being the most spoken by either staff or people with care is centred on people's needs and
person has memory problems -
important part of it. So many care dementia, events or experiences. promoting high quality care as
through Alzheimer's disease (the most
homes are 'killing people with Written summaries are provided, priorities.
commonly diagnosed type of
boredom' while they go about which identify positive elements of the The CQC is already basing its
dementia) and vascular dementia,
completing their chores. service as well as issues for discussion standards on outcomes and county
where the reduction in skills/abilities is
Following our review of dementia and developments that may have councils are following this approach.
more marked, to frontal lobe
care we decided to partner with David arisen during the observations. Quality monitoring teams for the
dementia (often characterised by
Sheard of Dementia Care Matters, These audits are designed to county councils have acknowledged
dramatic personality changes) and
who came to national prominence as evaluate the service as a whole, not to the benefits of our model of care - for
dementia with Lewy Bodies, where
a care consultant on the 2009 BBC appraise staff as individuals and thus example, some county councils no
people frequently experience
programme 'Can Gerry Robinson Fix provide direction for service longer contract for twin rooms.
hallucinations.
Dementia Care Homes'. David- who improvement and development. The The next few years will be a
The current and future implications
spent more than a decade working as measures enable a service to compare difficult and unsettling period for the
for our industry are immense. One in
an external training consultant to the itself qualitatively and quantitatively care industry, with fee reductions and
three people in the UK will be affected
Alzheimer's Society - founded with similar care settings. Dementia increased cost of living. There is also a
Dementia Care Matters in 1995 with Care Matters can work with leaders huge shortage nationally of quality
the purpose of demonstrating that and staff teams to devise action plans end stage dementia care. However, I
dementia care is about emotional and strategic development. am convinced that care homes will be
care. This approach to dementia care increasingly measured by the
One of the reasons we chose to has produced a huge improvement in wellbeing of the people they care for.
work with Dementia Care Matters was people's wellbeing across the Kingsley
buyacarehome.com that I was convinced there had to be a Healthcare Group. Meal times have Mandy Masters
better way to deliver dementia care. been transformed into a sociable event Operations Director - Dementia
Older people with dementia are still and people are eating better as a Care and Specialist Services
people - too often they just become result. Behaviours are treated as a way www.kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk
14 Healthcare Business