Unit 40 P3 Supporting individuals with dementia Megan Scully
P3: Describe legislation and frameworks which govern work with individuals with dementia
1. My husband has been to the doctors recently about his increasing forgetfulness and the GP
has said that he believes my husband has the start of Alzheimer’s. Whilst we were there the
GP was talking about the ‘Living Well National Strategy’. What is the strategy and why was it
promoting early diagnosis?
The ‘Living Well National Strategy’ involves three main steps with the aspiration of enhancing
the quality of life experienced by individuals with dementia and their carers. These three steps
are to;
Provide improved and updated knowledge regarding dementia and eliminate any
humiliation associated with dementia.
Provide early diagnosis for individuals with dementia and also offer treatment and support
not only for those individuals but additionally their family and carers.
Cultivate services in order to better meet the modifying needs involved in dementia.
If a dementia diagnosis is provided early enough, better support and treatment can be provided
in order to control symptoms and help individuals with dementia to cope with the disorder. It is
important for an early diagnosis as the further along the illness becomes the harder it becomes
to improve the quality of life of the individual with dementia.
Due to the amount of unfamiliarity with regards to dementia, not only with members of the
public but also with individuals providing services related to dementia, it can cause some
individuals with dementia to feel ashamed of the having the illness. Dementia is nobody’s fault
and the individual with dementia should certainly not have to experience the stigma that is
attached.
A range of services were discussed by the department of health and involved concepts to
improve the fluctuating needs of individual with dementia. These services included;
Ensuring individuals with dementia receive support and information regarding the illness as
soon as possible.
Having a single individual within a hospital who is accountable for dementia services.
Ensuring GP’s are able to identify the primary signs of dementia.
Aiding individuals in remaining in their own homes for as long as possible.
Having GP’s working alongside mental health services.
Providing all individuals with dementia a personal dementia advisor.
2. He also mentioned that the strategy supported carers. How will it do that?
The ‘Living Well National Strategy’ ensure that carers are supported by enabling both the
individual with dementia and their carer to live well by means of providing quality care from
diagnosis to the end of life in setting such as hospital, care homes and community. The strategy
also aims to increase public knowledge on dementia in order to remove stigma, increase
knowledge and remove false beliefs. This can be done through a variety of different campaigns,
some which may focus human resources and occupational health departments making them
more aware of the signs or dementia and the effect it has on carers.
3. My friend keeps telling me about dementia friendly communities that the government is
trying to support. What are they?
A dementia friendly community is a village, town or city in which people with dementia are
recognised, supported and valued. In these communities individuals with dementia have
P3: Describe legislation and frameworks which govern work with individuals with dementia
1. My husband has been to the doctors recently about his increasing forgetfulness and the GP
has said that he believes my husband has the start of Alzheimer’s. Whilst we were there the
GP was talking about the ‘Living Well National Strategy’. What is the strategy and why was it
promoting early diagnosis?
The ‘Living Well National Strategy’ involves three main steps with the aspiration of enhancing
the quality of life experienced by individuals with dementia and their carers. These three steps
are to;
Provide improved and updated knowledge regarding dementia and eliminate any
humiliation associated with dementia.
Provide early diagnosis for individuals with dementia and also offer treatment and support
not only for those individuals but additionally their family and carers.
Cultivate services in order to better meet the modifying needs involved in dementia.
If a dementia diagnosis is provided early enough, better support and treatment can be provided
in order to control symptoms and help individuals with dementia to cope with the disorder. It is
important for an early diagnosis as the further along the illness becomes the harder it becomes
to improve the quality of life of the individual with dementia.
Due to the amount of unfamiliarity with regards to dementia, not only with members of the
public but also with individuals providing services related to dementia, it can cause some
individuals with dementia to feel ashamed of the having the illness. Dementia is nobody’s fault
and the individual with dementia should certainly not have to experience the stigma that is
attached.
A range of services were discussed by the department of health and involved concepts to
improve the fluctuating needs of individual with dementia. These services included;
Ensuring individuals with dementia receive support and information regarding the illness as
soon as possible.
Having a single individual within a hospital who is accountable for dementia services.
Ensuring GP’s are able to identify the primary signs of dementia.
Aiding individuals in remaining in their own homes for as long as possible.
Having GP’s working alongside mental health services.
Providing all individuals with dementia a personal dementia advisor.
2. He also mentioned that the strategy supported carers. How will it do that?
The ‘Living Well National Strategy’ ensure that carers are supported by enabling both the
individual with dementia and their carer to live well by means of providing quality care from
diagnosis to the end of life in setting such as hospital, care homes and community. The strategy
also aims to increase public knowledge on dementia in order to remove stigma, increase
knowledge and remove false beliefs. This can be done through a variety of different campaigns,
some which may focus human resources and occupational health departments making them
more aware of the signs or dementia and the effect it has on carers.
3. My friend keeps telling me about dementia friendly communities that the government is
trying to support. What are they?
A dementia friendly community is a village, town or city in which people with dementia are
recognised, supported and valued. In these communities individuals with dementia have
