Supporting individuals with dementia
P3
Describe the legislation and frameworks which govern work with individuals with dementia
Enduring power of an attorney act-
This is a legal tool that allows you to enact someone to make certain decisions on your behalf, this can include finances, health and welfare and also legal help. An attorney is appointed when you are no longer able to make decisions yourself or if you are not of sound mind.
Enduring power of an attorney act allows you to choose someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf for example a trusted family member, this person must be over 18, be of sound mind and also be willing to take on this job. If there are no family or friends available one can be appointed to you.
If an attorney is appointed to cover your finances such as things concerning property, they will do things on behalf of you such as paying bills, collecting income and/or benefits ensuring everything is there and selling your house. This can be useful for someone with dementia as if it comes to the stage where the person is no longer fit to take care of these financial issues an attorney can be enacted to help them out, also if the person with dementia is safer being put into an home an attorney can cover selling the house at the right price.
If an attorney is appointed to deal with health and welfare they will have the job of deciding where is best to live, or day to day needs such as what you eat. If you wish you can give your attorney the power to decide whether to accept or decline life- sustaining treatment. This is a good option for people whose dementia has progressed further and are unable to do tasks such as make food for themselves, it will ensure they are kept healthy and in regards to any medicines they may require the attorney will be there to decide whether it is appropriate to give them.
Human rights act-
The human rights act legislation states certain things everyone has a right too. If these rights are violated it can be taken to court, some of these rights are as follows; * The right to not be treated in an inhuman or degrading way this can include not being given basic things such as being able to use the toilet or being humiliated in front of a group of people * The right to have privacy within your own life, family life and correspondence, this can include privacy towards yourself for example you have a right to get changed in private if someone refuses this, this right is being broken, if someone with dementia is in a home they still have the right to privacy this may be during family visits. * The right to freedom, this does not mean that everyone can do as they please but that they have free will and should not be forced into anything, for example restraining a person with dementia onto a chair would be a breach of this free will. * The right not to be discriminated against, everyone has the right to not be discriminated against these acts of discrimination can include racial, ageist, religious and homophobic discrimination. If a person with dementia suffers from discrimination they have the right to speak out for example if someone with dementia is unable to attend a church service alone and the staff at the home refuse to accompany him/her that can be seen as discrimination. There are many more human rights that come under the human rights act although these are relevant to people who suffer from dementia. Data protection act-
The data protection act controls how data is stored within a business, this data can include personal details, medical history and any existing medical conditions. Every business has a responsibility to abide by the data protection act, it is important all information is kept confidential.
People with dementia who live in a home will have a file either stored by paper or on a computer it will include their medical history, any medication they have been on and are currently on, it should also have updates of any changes in the person’s health. It is essential this information is kept confidential and is only shown to professionals who need to see it, before anyone else sees it they must have permission from the person first who is of sound mind.
Mental capacity act-
The mental capacity act is there to protect individuals that have mental issues and are not able to make important decisions themselves for example deciding when to leave their home and go to a home.
This act applies to people with learning difficulties, mental health issues such as psychotic depression, people who have suffered a stroke and people with dementia. Many people are able to make decisions such as what to wear but have troubles deciding about things such as financial issues.
With someone who suffers from dementia there is a decline in them, at first they may be able to decide everything for themselves and as the decline begins to happen they may begin to struggle with things such as paying bills and turning things off such as the oven, that is when the mental capacity act comes in.
They will help the person with dementia out when it comes to paying bills etc. and if the time comes help them decide what home they would rather be put in and what form of treatment would be best for them.
Single equality act-
The equality act protects people from discrimination within the work place and in society, it is similar to the anti-discrimination law although instead it is a single act as it makes it easier for people to understand, it includes action against sexism, racism and disability discrimination.
This applies to people with dementia as they may be subjected to discrimination due to their age, race or religion. If this is done they have a right to speak out for example even a staff member ignoring someone in their care because of their race is seen as discrimination and can be brought to court.
Safeguarding vulnerable groups-
This is an act laid out with the aim to protect vulnerable adults and children it has put in place certain precautions in order to keep them safe. All people wanting to work with vulnerable groups must go through a vetting process to ensure they are safe to be around vulnerable groups, in northern Ireland this is called the access NI it ensures you have never been sanctioned before and if so it will not cause harm to the vulnerable groups.
When working with someone with dementia it is important anyone they come into contact with is properly qualified and that the person with dementia is safe around them. For example in a care home all staff members must have certain qualifications and have gone through a vetting process along with regular training in order to ensure the person with dementia is always kept safe and properly cared for.
Mental health act-
The mental health act is there for the wellbeing of people who suffer mental issues such as severe depression, personality disorders and dementia. It covers what is allowed when it comes to helping people with mental health issues.
When someone is mentally ill they usually agree to go into hospital whether it be an everyday hospital or a specialised one that deals with mental issues, although there are times people who suffer from mental health problems can be sectioned, this means they are brought to hospital against their will under the mental health act.
People with dementia can sometimes be put into a home or a specialised hospital under the mental health act of the dementia becomes too severe for example if they are no longer able to communicate or take care of themselves in the most basic way like getting dressed in the morning. That would then be grounds for them to be put into a home without their consent under the mental health act.
Putting people first-
Putting people first was put in place to ensure services provide people with high quality, safe care and also provide staff who are caring and compassionate to people. It ensures that the service users are kept safe at all times and their needs always come first, for example if someone with dementia is in a home and are being difficult although the staff member may be tired they must deal with the person a calm, safe and compassionate way.
As many people who suffer from dementia end up in homes it is essential their needs are put first by the staff and they are treated in a kind way and that their safety comes first.
Living well with dementia-
As dementia can affect all parts of a person’s life including family, friends and their memories it is important that there is always support provided if needed.
Living well with dementia helps the person keep up their life as normally as possible, it is important when someone who has dementia keeps up their health by doing things like exercising, it is also important they look after their mental wellbeing this can be done simply by doing things they love such as gardening. This can help them have a more positive outlook on life.
If someone who has dementia is living in a home it is important they keep up a social life as it will help keep them positive, they should be encouraged to make friends within the home and also their family should be encouraged to visit as much as possible, not only to keep the person positive but also as it may help them regain memories.

P4
Explain roles and responsibilities of health and social care workers in improving the health and quality of life for people with dementia
When looking after with people dementia there are many things that must be considered, the amount the dementia has advanced in the person, medical needs, how the person reacts in situation, their family and much more.
Carers provide unpaid care to people with dementia they are usually a close relative or friend and many times do not recognise the role they have taken on. They usually care for person with dementia until it becomes so severe they have to be put into a home, they have the responsibility of caring for the persons every need this can include preparing their meals and helping them keep the house clean and also tasks such as finances and ensuring they take the right medications. This person has this job until they need to call in professionals.
There are also formal carers they may come from the home the person with dementia is living at and they also have the care of ensuring they eat and are giving the right medication and depending on how severe the dementia is they may help them with tasks such as getting dressed and going to the bathroom.
The carers should always take a person centred approach this means that the service users’ needs should always come first that they are always treated respectfully and with dignity for example if someone with dementia needs to go to the bathroom and needs assistance the carer helping them should ensure they have their dignity as the bathroom door should be shut and the carer should not talk about it with other carers.
The carers also has the responsibility of ensuring protection and safeguarding, this can be done by ensuring the home they are living in is secure and that all staff members a suitably trained and have been vetted to ensure they are safe to work with people who suffer from dementia. They are also responsible for their wellbeing both physically and emotionally, for example if the person with dementia suffers a fall it is the carers job to get them to a doctor or phone an ambulance depending on the seriousness of the fall and it is essential they try and make the person’s life as happy as possible by including them in things such as activities at the home and encouraging them to make friends.
A GP will also play a role in providing quality care for people with dementia they have the responsibility of maintaining the health of the person with dementia they are responsible for prescribing medication that may help them and diagnosing them with dementia in the first place.

M2
Discuss the role of teamwork in improving the health and quality of life for people with dementia
When caring for someone with dementia as many people will be included in this care it is important they all work as a team in order to make the persons with dementia’s live more positive and all over happier.
Within the person’s life they will have family and friends, doctors, carers (formal and non-formal), nurses and maybe psychiatrists depending on the extent of the dementia. It is essential all these people work together as a team to help the person with dementia.
Both the care workers and family members should work together to help the person with dementia they should discuss how they are doing and any concerns they may have so they can work together to help them. Although the care workers must be careful about confidentiality as they cannot disclose as personal information, even to family members without the persons permission first.
Care workers must also work together with doctors and nurses to ensure the persons physical wellbeing, by discussing any medical concerns and changes to their medication it can help both the care workers and the doctors help the person in a positive way and could result in the person with dementia feeling more happy and secure.
As dementia can often lead to depression many people who suffer from both will need to see a psychiatrist this can allow them to open up to someone confidentiality about how they are feeling and what is going through their heads, although psychiatrists are not allowed to tell other people what the person has said unless they have threatened to take their own life or someone else’s, being able to talk to someone may help them have a more positive outlook on what they are going through and help them have a better quality of life.
By family visiting more and being encouraged to visit by the care workers it may help the person with dementia regain some memories from their past, even if it only is briefly and will also help ensure their memory of their family stays intact for the future.
By care workers offering a person centred approach and giving people with dementia activities to do such as dance classes it can help give the person a better quality of life and a more positive outcome for the future, the care workers should also encourage the person with dementia to make new friends within the home this way they won’t feel alone and will feel as though they can trust people at the home.

D1
Evaluate how different approaches to caring for people with dementia can affect individual outcomes
It is essential people suffering from dementia are giving safe, compassionate, positive care. This can help protect people with dementia from abuse, it is important people with dementia are treated with respect and dignity and that all their rights are met.
Although it is essential people with dementia are physically able and protected it is also important they are holistically happy and that all their needs both physical, emotional and social are met.
This can be done through person centred approach as it put the person’s needs first and ensures they are treated with respect no matter what their condition may be, by doing a person centred approach you are helping the person with dementia feel safe and improve their quality or life and it also helps them build trust with the care worker so that if something is wrong the person with dementia can feel safe enough to tell the care worker.
By introducing activities to the home it can also have a positive outcome for the person with dementia such as art and storytelling, this is a way for their senses to be stimulated and can also help them remember who they are and maybe even bring back memories.
By using a multi-disciplinary approach you will get information on the person with dementia from loads of different professions an also a lot of different opinions which could lead to learning new thing about the person and therefore helping you ensure the person with dementia is happy. Also if there is something wrong with the person with dementia that wasn’t known before finding out could bring the care worker closer to fixing the problem and helping the person.
Safeguarding approach focuses on keeping the people with dementia safe physically, it helps ensure the home they are in is secure and there are no hazards within the home, it also ensures that all staff members are properly trained and receive constant updated training to keep them up to date on the changes for example training in hoisting someone. Safeguarding approach also ensures all staff members are safe to work with people with dementia through the vetting process.
Although this is extremely important in order to keep the person with dementia physically safe it doesn’t help with the emotional side of what the person with dementia faces such as depression, the memory loss and confusion it only focuses on ensuring they are kept physically safe and out of harm’s way.

Bibliography * Blackboard * Class notes * https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/the-data-protection-act * http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/pages/mental-capacity.aspx * https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safeguarding_Vulnerable_Groups_Act_2006 * http://www.mentalhealthcare.org.uk/mental_health_act * http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia-guide/pages/living-well-with-dementia.aspx * http://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/PersonCentredCareMadeSimple.pdf * http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/service-provision.html * http://www.safeguardingmatters.co.uk/uk-safeguarding-approach/