Dementia champions
A 5-day development programme for staff nominated as leaders of person-centred dementia care, designed and delivered by DementiaTrainers.
Day 1
- The experience of dementia: understanding feelings
- Facts and up-to-date information about dementia: prevalence, types of dementia, what happens in the brain, symptoms, risk factors
- A social model of dementia – identifying and minimising factors contributing to difficulties in dementia
- The impact of interactions on the person with dementia
- Establishing guidelines for good practice
- Developing and sharing knowledge about people as individuals
- Positive outcomes: recognising and monitoring well-being in dementia
Day 2
- The role of Dementia Champions
- Hopes and fears
- Difficulties and abilities in dementia
- A partnership approach to the care of people with dementia
- Compensating for difficulties caused by dementia
- Environment and dementia
- Recognising and drawing on strengths
- Supporting people with dementia with eating and drinking
- Identifying the needs of the whole person
- Key psychological needs and positive person work
- Person-centred communication
- Active listening
- Overcoming communication barriers
Day 3
- Understanding reasons for behaviours that staff find challenging
- Responding to strong feelings and distressed reactions
- Empathy and validation
- Responding to different realities of people with dementia
- Recognising and responding to delirium
- Taking stock: evaluating current practices within participants’ own settings
- Learning from experience
- Barriers to person-centred care – negative beliefs and bad habits
- First objectives and steps towards improvement
Day 4
- Successes and challenges
- Recognising and minimising triggers for aggressive behaviour
- The use and misuse of antipsychotic medication in dementia care
- Pain in dementia: identification and management
- Occupation and engagement for people with dementia
- Understanding and responding to people with dementia who walk around / try to leave the care environment
- Environmental assessment: feedback and plans
- Assessing and managing risk
- Capacity and consent
Day 5
- Enhancing well-being
- Being a role model
- Facilitating reflective practice for insight and change
- Promoting positive dementia care
- Supporting people with dementia at the end of life
- Person-centred work with relatives / carers of people with dementia
- Communication processes within the team
- Assessment and care planning
- Action planning