Supporting people with dementia
This section looks at supporting people with dementia. It discusses the physical environment (whether it be at home or a care home), and decision-making and using information and communication technology in activities.
Decision-making
In England and Wales a new law about making decisions started in 2007 called the Mental Capacity Act. It covers all decisions people may make for themselves, however little or big, from deciding whether to have a bath or shower to selling a house. The law says we must start by assuming that people can make their own decisions. This includes people with dementia. How can you help a person with dementia to make decisions now and for their future?
Environment
The physical environment can work well – or make some big problems – for people living with dementia, whether it's in a person’s own home or a care home. Assistive technology, developing dementia-friendly communities, understanding risk – all these issues play an important part in supporting people living with dementia.
Housing
The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 (2015) states that, by 2020 we wish to see more people with dementia being able to live longer in their own homes.
Using technology to support people with dementia
Technology has so much to offer people living with dementia and their carers; access to information, advice and entertainment as well as reassurance for a carer who does not live near a loved one. Used sensitively and thoughtfully, technology enhances rather than replaces human relationships and interactions.
Living in a care home: a positive outcome (video)
A daughter’s dilemma. Her mother has dementia, but she has her own family to care for and cannot provide the amount of care that her mother needs. She recounts her mother’s life story and describes the reality of the effects of dementia since she was left alone following the death of her husband. There is a positive solution to her dilemma. Her mother moves to a care home which meets her needs and improves the quality of her life.
Participation in development of dementia care (video)
Having been diagnosed with dementia at the age of 70, Brian and his wife June now actively participate in planning dementia care services in Gloucestershire.
