In a recent report from the Alzheimer’s Society (‘Non-Pharmacological Therapies for the Treatment of Behavioural Systems in People with Dementia’ paper (2005) it outlines that every person with dementia is an individual with his or her own emotional and social needs.
The report goes on to say how important it is to gain as much information about the personality, life history, interests and skills of the person being cared for as possible, as this will give a better understanding of the person’s needs.
At Morris Care, rather than focusing on treating a person as a collection of symptoms and behaviours to be controlled, we look at the whole person, as well as their unique qualities, interests and preferences. We agree with the report from the Alzheimer’s Society and feel that as a leading care provider once you understand the person, you can engage them in relevant activities to help them socialise, participate, interact, and gain additional skills and experiences – which, in turn, can help ‘unlock’ forgotten memories and competencies.
Social activities in our homes are key to this and we have a calendar of events aimed at building the skills for our residents and unlocking special moments. As well as increasing the social interactions and activity levels between residents living with dementia, such activities also help to develop the important relationship between the carer and the person with dementia. At our homes this can be simply taking the time to sit down with a cup of tea and a biscuit, or encouraging care home staff to eat meals and socialise with residents.
For more information about Morris Care, or if you would like to speak to one of our team members about dementia, please visit Morriscare.
