Thursday, July 4, 2013

New care for dementia patients.

Yesterday I could not spell "flood" no matter how I put things together nothing jived and the more I panicked the worse it got. I was stuck on "flud" and flud it was.

I scrabble for too many hours these days. I am petrified when I forget one little item.
I want to be clear of mind.
I want to remember everything.
I do not want to sink in a dark space like Bob did.
I so wanted to help him but I could n't.
YET..I could have done better....

I just read the New Yorker and an article by Rebecca Mead about new procedures in care giving.
Years ago already in England Thomas Kitwood, a social psychologist , started to view dementia and the care in a different light. He started the Bradford Dementia group. Prime Minister David Cameron is leading a campaign ,the Dementia Challenge, that aims at providing sufferers with the service and support they need.

In Belgiam the city of Bruges declared itself "dementia friendly", clerks are trained to anticipiate a shopper may have problems remembering.

in Arizona a model care facility named the "Beatitudes" has so many new ideas and while I was reading Ms Mead's article I could still feel what I could have done better.
The struggle with the bathing comes to mind.
Not that I required a bath every day anymore but when I thought he really would feel better having a good "wash down" he became violent. At one point I put towels on the bathroom floor and just washed him down while he was punching me. I was thinking that I had to win. There are ways of calming them down and working with the moods.

It is interesting to see that we are beginning to think of these patients as real people...they need to be
taken care with more dignity than sitting in a chair all day in a hall, head bent down smelling of urine.
There are options as we see in Arizona.

If you have someone with that mental problem do read the article, it may help both of you.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/20/130520fa_fact_mead

 http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/20/130520fa_fact_mead

New Yorker May 20.2013  the sense of an ending by Rebecca Mead
 

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