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In this session you learn about what it means to be an active member of a Community of Practice (CoP) for Community Dementia Ambassadors.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this session, you will be able to:
Session 7 includes the following parts:
Part 1: What is a community of practice?
Part 2: What do communities of practice look like?
Part 3: Principles for participating in a CoP
Session Summary
Work through the various parts of the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
The human brain is one of your most vital organs. It plays a role in every action and every thought, and just like the rest of your body, it needs to be looked after.
Can Alzheimer's disease be prevented? There are no guarantees, but healthy lifestyle choices will help keep your brain as healthy as possible as you age.
By making better lifestyle choices now, you can improve your brain's ability to sustain long-term health and fight illnesses.
In this session an expert in seniors’ health will explain what the latest research tells us about the possibility of reducing our chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease and the variety of risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this session, you will be able to:
Session 6 includes the following parts:
Part 1: Your Amazing Brain
Part 2: Being Brain Healthy
Part 3: Reducing Your Risk
Part 4: My Personal Action Plan
Session Summary
Work through the various parts of the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
By consciously using language in a more sensitive manner, we can avoid reducing individuals with dementia to a series of labels, symptoms or medical terms.
Person-centred language focuses on the person, not on their condition. The use of person-centred language helps us deal with the fear and stigma surrounding dementia. By reducing the fear associated with dementia, people are more likely to acknowledge, learn and have discussions about dementia.
Let’s explore some terms that you should avoid and/or use when talking with and about people with dementia.
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Let's explore some terms that you should avoid and/or use when talking with and about people with dementia.
Person Centred Language Guidelines - Full Edition 8 pages
Historically, language used to describe Alzheimer's disease and other dementias has largely focused on losses experienced by the person living with the disease.
While these losses are real, negative wording can promote stigma against dementia through perceptions, interpretations and approaches to care that focus on weakness rather than strength, illness rather than wellness, and victims rather than whole persons.
By being more conscious of the language we use, we can avoid reducing people living with dementia to a series of labels, symptoms or medical terms.
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The language that we use when talking about dementia should reflect the following human rights principles:
Watch this video to learn more about the Canadian Charter of Rights for People with Dementia.
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The foundation of Person-Centred Care (PCC) in dementia care are based on the work of Thomas Kitwood.
Professor Kitwood was a leading researcher in the development of the way we think about people who have dementia. Historically dementia has sat within the fields of medicine and psychiatry which led to an over-emphasis on the “treatment” of people with dementia. This included focusing on the physical changes that are happening in the brain and how best to respond to the symptoms related to these cognitive changes.
However, what was missing from this approach is the recognition of the person with the illness, who they are, their life before the illness and how they currently feel. The approach also overlooked the influence of social and physical environments of a person with dementia.
Person-Centred Care, on the other hand, seeks to view the person with dementia as a whole and how the person is influenced by factors beyond the physical changes in the brain.
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A person-centred approach subscribes to the following principles:
Uniqueness
Regardless of illness, all people are unique and this must be acknowledged for people with dementia.
Complexity
Humans are complex beings and a myriad of factors influence the way we see and respond to the world around us.
Professor Kitwood summed up the influences on a person with dementia as D = P + B + H + NI + SP, where:
D = the person with dementia’s presentation
P = Personality
B = Biography (or a person’s life history)
H = Physical Health status
NI = Neurological Impairment
SP = Social psychology (or the social and physical world around us)
(Kitwood, 1993)
Enabling
It is all too easy to focus on the disability and loss associated with cognitive impairment. We need to recognize the strengths and abilities of people with dementia and ensure opportunities exist for them to be utilized.
Personhood
This refers to the recognition of a sense of self, who we are and what place we hold in the world around us. Personhood is an intrinsic part of PCC and places an emphasis on the positive effects of daily interaction with other people. PCC teaches the recognition of well-being and ill-being of personhood.
Value of Others
PCC is not just about the way we interact with a person with dementia but also recognizes the personhood of all people. This includes organizations valuing the important roles of direct care staff, the formulation of policies and procedures and the way staff are supported by each other and by the organization.
Source:Alzheimer’s Australia website http://www.alzheimers.asn.au/index.php?page=viewStory&id=8208
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After reading about the person-centred philosophy and a person-centred approach, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
Everyone has these needs and when we care for someone who is living with dementia, we need to ensure that we take the time to fulfill these needs and be very mindful of them.
Love
Everybody needs to be loved and to love someone; being loved and accepted is part of our need for survival, from when we are born. Love can range, from loving a person, an activity, a favourite meal/food, to loving God and feeling self-love.
Comfort
Feeling comfort is our need to be warm, dry and clean, having a full stomach and not feeling thirsty. Comfort also might mean to have quiet when we want or need it, to be free of pain, to have the freedom to move, and to have a sense of closeness, being able to bond with others.
Identity
We all have the need for personal identity; from the clothes we choose to wear, the food we prefer, and the way we like our hair. These are all identifying factors that help us and others identify with who we are.
Occupation
Most of us want to be occupied with something to feel like we have worth and purpose in life. From being involved in daily activities, to engaging in a planned activities program, it’s important that the person is able to occupy themselves with meaningful things.
Inclusion
Inclusion means that we want to be a part of something. If we feel left out then it makes us feel bad. People living with dementia may lose track of conversation easily, being mindful of their feelings of inclusion is important.
Attachment
Our connections in life are also crucial to our feelings of well-being. Everyone wants to feel connected to something, or someone; often a combination of both. We also have a need to form wider attachments in our community, or in groups.
Thomas Kitwood was a pioneer in the field of dementia care. He completed an MSc in the Psychology and Sociology of Education at Bradford in 1974. Since then, he developed innovative research and training that was challenging the culture of care at the time. Kitwood wanted to understand, as much as possible, what care is like for the person with dementia.
Source: Downloaded December 20, 2022 via https://reflectionsgreenwich.com/2017/03/25/the-flower-of-emotional-needs/
In this session you will explore the elements of a person-centred philosophy and person-centred care, as they relate to your role as a Community Dementia Ambassador.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this session, you will be able to:
Session 5 includes the following parts:
Part 1: Person-Centred Philosophy: Flower of Emotional Needs
Part 2: Person-Centred Care
Part 3: Why Person-Centred Language?
Part 4: Using Person-Centred Language
Session Summary
Work through the various parts of the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic.
Here we have three conversations with Chris Nelson where she shares different experiences of what it has been like living with dementia after their diagnosis and how they have worked with the changes in their lives.
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Join Chris as she discusses how her frontotemporal dementia affects dining out at a restaurant in her community.
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After you listen to the conversations, take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions. Feel free to make some notes.
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Join Chris as she discusses how her frontotemporal dementia affects doing her daily banking.
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Join Chris as she discusses how her frontotemporal dementia affects a daily activity such as shopping at your local grocery store.
Everyone has a different experience living with dementia. Every story is unique. This session will provide you with an opportunity to learn about one individual’s experience and to better understand the point of view of a people living with dementia.
You’ll meet Chris Nelson, a person living with frontotemporal dementia. She’ll talk about what it is like to live with the disease. She’ll share her personal experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this session, you will be able to:
Session 4 includes the following parts:
Part 1: The Experience of Dementia: Personal Stories
Part 2: Dementia Diagnosis from an Insider's Perspective
Work through the various parts of the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic, or reach out to your Community Dementia Ambassador Coordinator who would be happy to assist you. The Coordinator can be reached at ambassador@alzheimer.ab.ca
Dementia is a general term that refers to a variety of brain disorders. Physical changes in the brain cause dementia.
In this session, you will deepen your understanding of dementia and the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this session, you will be able to:
Session 3 includes the following parts:
Part 1: What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Part 2: Distinguishing Dementia and Memory Loss
Part 3: Other Dementias and Associated Illnesses
Part 4: Dementia Numbers in Alberta and Canada
Part 5: The Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
Session Summary
Work through the various parts of the session at your leisure. Move from one part to another at your own pace and in the order that makes sense to you, based on your own needs and interests.
At any time, you may scroll to the Search bar at the top of the page and type a specific question or topic, or reach out to your Community Dementia Ambassador Coordinator who would be happy to assist you. The Coordinator can be reached at ambassador@alzheimer.ab.ca
