4222-239 Dem 204 Essay

Understand and implement a person centred approach to the care and support of individuals with dementia.
(DEM 204)
Outcome 1        
Understand the importance of a person centred approach to
Dementia care and support.

  1. Describe what is meant by a person centred approach.
This is about ensuring that the person is the main focus of our attention and not the dementia. It recognises a person’s individuality, personal history and their personality.it puts the person, not the dementia at the centre of everything the health and social care workers do. The needs and emotions of each person are the focal point around which everything else is geared.

  2. Describe how a person centred approach enables individuals with dementia to be involved in their own care and support.
Treating everyone as individuals and making them informed of choices are the best person centred approach. Many people with dementia can make their own choices such as what they would like to wear, eat or drink. If anyone can’t express themselves we can inform them of the available choices with simpler answer such as yes or no. we may also become more aware of what they like by observing them and whether it went well or not.

Outcome 2    
  Be able to involve the individual with dementia in planning and implementing their care and support using a person centred approach.

  1. Explain how information about personality and life history can be used to support an individual to live well with dementia.
The starting point for support should be to establish strong two-way communication. Listening carefully is vital to understand each individual’s experience of dementia and getting to know their needs, strengths and abilities. The aim should be to understand their past life before the onset of dementia as well as their current situation. A person’s life history is central to their identity and details from their past can influence their actions and needs today. The background of a...