For this task, you need to be able to show your understanding of how to support a person living with late-stage dementia.
Read the scenario and answer the questions that follow.
A few years later Mrs Letts’ dementia progresses further, and she is diagnosed with late-stage dementia. Mrs Letts is assessed and moves into residential care because of the deterioration in her symptoms.
Mrs Letts symptoms now include:
- severe memory loss
- unable to process information
- no orientation of time and place
- loss of speech
- needing help with toileting and is often incontinent of urine and faeces
- needing help with eating and has trouble in swallowing
- needing support with walking
Person-centred approaches to providing support
Remember that a person-centred approach should be chosen with Mrs Letts and include activities that focus on her personal relationships and participation in activities that have meaning to her.
What is one meaningful activity that could be included in Mrs Letts’ personal plan using a person-centred approach to support her cultural needs?
Why is it important to include these sorts of activities in her personal plan?
What is one meaningful activity that could be included in Mrs Letts’ personal plan using a person-centred approach to support her physiological needs?
Why is it important to include these sorts of activities in her personal plan?
What is one care strategy you could use to help meet Mrs Letts’ late-stage dementia needs?
Examples of care strategies can include: avoidance of triggers, pain management, ensuring basic needs have been met (food, hydration, toileting, companionship), diversion, meaningful engagement, calming strategies, de-escalation, noise reduction, communication techniques, complementary therapies (eg music, sensory stimulus, sensory room), warm relationships and spending time together, debriefing, keeping a behaviour log to identify trends and patterns, preparing a safe social and physical environment, stress management, time out, knowing the person well, safety, capable communication, a warm community atmosphere, making the environment dementia friendly.
You can pick a care strategy that isn`t on the list.
How does this strategy help to support Mrs Letts’ late-stage dementia needs?
What is another care strategy you could use to help meet Mrs Letts’ late-stage dementia needs?
How does this strategy help to support Mrs Letts’ needs?
What is one communication technique you could use to engage with and support Mrs Letts now that she has late-stage dementia?
You could include a communication technique to use with Mrs Letts or her family and whānau.
Examples of communication techniques could include: family, whānau, care partner.
Best-practice communication techniques may include but are not limited to – short sentences, speaking directly to the person, ensuring you have their attention, eliminating competing noise, making one point at a time, framing questions to ask only one thing at a time.
How does this communication technique help to support Mrs Letts?
What is another communication technique you could use to engage with and support Mrs Letts now that she has late-stage dementia?
How does this communication technique help to support Mrs Letts?
