Understand the Role of Communication and Interactions with Individuals Who Have Dementia (Dem 308)

Being diagnosed with dementia will affect people in different ways. The service user could become withdrawn and depressed, this will affect their well-being and how they look after and treat them self’s. They can start to self-harm or neglect them self’s through personal hygiene or through there eating, eating too much or too little. They may even become so depressed and down in mood

All forms of dementia can affect the way a person communicates, so in time they may have to find different ways of expressing themselves and their feelings. As a carer your non-verbal communication will become important, your body language, facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and tone of voice will have to be taken into account when you are communicating with a sufferer. In the early stages of some forms of dementia people may have difficulty finding the right word they are looking for, and in the later stages of some forms of dementia the words could be lost completely. As the dementia progresses, it gets a lot

Also a person with dementia has very poor or no short term memory at all, so when it comes to making descisions the answer may change quite alot because they have poor memory recall they may say yes one minute then say no to the exact same question because they cant remember what was asked before hand.

Some carers may not feel they can approach the person because the assume they are violent. If a person gets violent it is due to frustration and not being able to express themselves and you should always try to work out what it is that triggers the outburst or what is frustrating the individual. It helps if you know how to approach the person so they don’t get agitated. You should always try to form positive relationships with the individuals and by getting to know them better, you will be able to provide them with better care.

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 the context of his or her social circumstances and biography. By learning about each person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background care support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs.

Dementia sufferers communicate in many different ways. They may not be able to speak but they can communicate non-verbally with positive or negative behaviour. They can also communicate using body language and through posture.

If an individual with dementia is doing an activity, which is familiar to them or part of, their routine that they have developed then the individual may be comfortable and do the activity with ease. On the other hand, if you take the individual out of their routine or familiar surroundings their confusion will grow.

In dementia care is a key aspect of best practice. It is a way of caring for a person with dementia as an individual with unique qualities. It means looking at the world from the person’s point of view ‘standing in their place’ as it were and appreciating how they may be feeling.

• 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.

If an individual that has dementia and also has a sensory impairment it is important for care providers to assess the communication abilities of that person and to support different methods that the person may have when they are trying to communicate with you for instance a person that wears a hearing aid may have forgotten or have been unable to turn it on because of there dementia by simply having a quick check hat it is fitted correctly and is turned on you have aided the person in being able to communicate better there are many other items that may also be beneficial to an individual with sensory loss, flash cards with simple instructions words and picture on may be good if a person is having difficulty expressing what they need, sign language may also be good for those with hearing impairments.

1.1 Losing the ability to communicate can be one of the most frustrating and difficult problems for people with dementia, their families and carers. As the illness progresses, a person with dementia experiences a gradual lessening of their ability to communicate. They find it more and more difficult to express themselves clearly and to understand what others say.

Positive interactions can help reduce agitation caused by frustration and give a person a feeling that they do matter. By lending an understanding ear to someone with Alzheimer's to verbalize their frustrations, worries and fears, the negative emotions can diminish. This will contribute to better cognitive functioning and behaviour. Dementia can be a lonely illness and giving someone you time and undivided attention can help them to remain centred and calm.

Dementia effects your memory and a person’s ability to achieve a normal everyday task and activities.

Alzheimer’s disease slowly steals a person’s dignity and erases precious memories. The “Alzheimer’s Disease Guide”, found on WebMD explains that tasks become more difficult to do often leading to confusion and behavior changes. The article further explains the progression of the disease also brings hardship to family and friends (1). To best cope with Alzheimer’s we must better understand the disease.

Furthermore, technology-supported recreation therapy aids those with dementia socially. The degenerative disease of dementia affects one’s brain from functioning at an optimal level. The frustration that results from the condition can cause isolation and therefore, support workers try to expose people with dementia to social opportunities. According to the Journal of Technology and Disability, “people with dementia have a need for company and daytime activities… and technology-supported leisure activities stimulate communication and social behavior among participants with dementia” (Nijhof et al., 2013, p. 263). Examples of these technology-supported activities include watching a movie or play games on the Wii. Participants are focused on the activity; however, they do indeed interact with others and this simple connection improves their quality of life. Participants can express themselves through these activities and if they can enhance their communication skills with other participants, they can better communicate with their friends and family. This can give them a sense of belonging and slow down the progression of dementia. Those with dementia have benefited from technology in recreation. Overall, the