Angela Rippon - DO NURSES/DOCTORS WANT DEMENTIA TRAINING?????

[Cilla]

Its really great to see Angela Rippon today all over the TV pushing the need for dementia training with Doctors/Nurses etc.. I have my doubts that alot of these don't even want to be trained.
My Father, who was diagnosed with Dementia 4 years ago, was admitted to hospital in June when his Hip Joint had collapsed and had all broken into pieces. He hadn't had a fall, a slip, nothing, he was just in alot of pain and therefore very confused. He was admitted to a large South West Hospital(better not name it), where to cut a long story short he sat in an Orthopaedic Ward for 10 days waiting to be operated, sedated most of the time because they said he caused such a fuss otherwise.
After much pestering by myself and sister they performed a girdlestone operation, great we thought! Until Physio's repeatedly moaning to us on a daily basis because he kept putting weight on his bad leg when he should't be. They gave up after 2 weeks and sent him to a cottage hospital for another 5 weeks with little help, because "he wouldn't do what he's told".
To make things worse I even heard 2 nurses talking about going on Dementia Training Course - Nurse A saying she can't be bothered, she's been on loads of training lately and Nurse B saying well why don't we go and have a good old JOLLY, make them pay.
Do they really have to say these things infront of Full Time Dementia Carers????
Now 3 months on he's in hospital again, due to lack of mobility - why?? because hospital staff couldn't be bothered to give him the time and treatment that he should have had after his original operation.
After 5 months, I could count on one hand how many decent Doctors/Nurses/Carers who had contact with my Father, understood his illness. - GOSH don't I wish I didn't have to know about Dementia at times.
I think the care is in the person and no amount of Training or Degrees will change that with some.

 

[danny]

dementia training

I believe everything you are saying.My sister has not long finished her nursing degree,she does not even understand that dementia is an umbrella term and not a disease!

 

[Perdita]

I think the care is in the person and no amount of Training or Degrees will change that with some.

Yes exactly - couldn't agree more.

 

[Tender Face]

Hi Cilla – I have certainly had my issues with hospital care – as a consequence been constantly on ‘the net’ and TP today watching out for reports and comments on the back of AS releasing theirs and generating so much press coverage. I am hopeful this WILL start to make a difference about hospital care ....

I think we have to balance – as with every profession or vocation – there are wonderful people and there are the not so wonderful (and yes sometimes you might question why someone enters a certain profession in the first place) ..... my mum had a terrible experience in hospital – yet there were one or two perfect ‘angels’ in charge of her care at times ....... and most tried – even if they were pretty clueless ....

There is a lot needs to be addressed – but ‘tarring with the same brush’ is not helpful to a group of people who I believe (and I am tarring with the same brush myself now!) do what they do because they care but are tied by budgets, targets, policies etc etc. Who else would work ridiculously anti-social hours, under poor conditions for so little pay? (Carers excluded, of course!)

On this I have to agree ......

I think the care is in the person and no amount of Training or Degrees will change that with some.

As one example, I came across some young ‘whipper-snappers’ of physios trying to keep mum mobile – young professionals who looked barely old enough to be out of school – yet seemed to be able to tune in to her needs and moods ...... the much revered and highly qualified lead consultant was hopelessly out of tune ........

One would think, on the back of the statistic announced today of 25% of hospital in-patients having some degree of dementia – all medical and nursing staff would be anxious to be fully trained in dementia care for the sake of their own careers if nothing else?

Karen, x

 

[zvictorone]

I welcome Angela Rippon publicizing dementia.

Communication is certainly a problem between clinicians.

My father had paid into a private health insurance company for many years. When diagnosed with Alzheimer's he was refereed to a doctor who my father couldn't understand, the doctor's accent was so strong.

Later, my father deteriorated and required NHS help as a matter of urgency. The mental health nurse was unable to convince my father to be admitted to hospital. He refused the care of ambulance staff.

The mental health nurse was not able to influence doctors to section my father despite the fact he was a danger to himself and my mother his carer for over 20 years of the problem.

After a series of mini strokes my father was taken to a mental hospital. Nobody really wanted to know. He was placed in a bean bag chair so he couldn't escape.

In a short while, he broke his arm after a fall.

This gentleman was then passed from pillar to post by mental health staff that couldn't cope with a broken arm and broken arm staff that couldn't cope with mental health.

At one point, a Chinese broken arm doctor spoke to an Indian mental health doctor. The nurses had to translate as best they could, because not only could they not understand each other, no patient or care giver, could understand either of them.

My family are not racist, we grew up in the 60s next door neighbours with a West Indian family. They all spoke English and we did not see any difference between them and us. We kids just played together. We didn't know what racism was.

What I want to know, is if I can grew up with immigrants, totally understanding cultural differences and any other connotation anyone might like to raise; why are we allowing clinicians to practice who cannot make themselves understood.

I'm not talking about a mild accent, I am talking about an arrogance (well understood by nurses) and a belief in themselves that these people are doctors. You cannot be a doctor if you cannot communicate with your patient or the family.

We all know that dementia patients will die. That's not the point. Their care is the point, until a cure can be found.

I do not want a psychologist or chemical engineer as I prefer to call them researching aimlessly on my relative. Or for that matter a GP playing with psychotic drugs because he can't be bothered to think things through.

I do not want rest bite when that would scare the patient to death, out of their routine etc etc. I do not want anyone saying my relation needs social care rather than nursing care.

Running 5 baths a day because the sufferer can't remember the first bath of the day is such fun, especially when they lock themselves in and you have to break in. Do the government pay an extra heating allowance when you live with a demented person who needs 5 or 6 baths a day?

Cleaning the carpet is such fun after 20 years of cleaning up a loved one that misses the loo each and every time.

Being accused of infidelity with several men in the back room, at the age of 76, is a joy.

The patient forgets sons and daughters, so completely, they can no longer help, though they wish to. The patient just feels threatened and scared. The main carer-er just feels abandoned.

Have a suspected heart attack and call a private heart consultant for a home visit, funny how his private practice secretary says he never ever does home visits, but he appears at 7am and charges £500 for 10 minutes trying to establish a dialogue. He does hearts not minds obviously. He may as well have said, I don't do loonies, I'm far too important and you are going to die.

When my father did die, he was in a stroke and what looked like abcess to the leg ward. The chap opposite with the gammy leg kept shouting for my totally out of it Dad to shut up. The clinicians wanted my father to die of pneumonia or MRSA, because they didn't understand, or wish to understand anything outside of their specialty.

Most doctors deny anything out of their specialty unless there is a chance of a cross referral.in private practise. Oh, I did meet one good doc, he signed the death certificate as Alzheimers. He complimented my father on having clean shoes, and suggested he was an army officer. That doctor was good. They are not all bad, but the majority don't have a clue.

Yes, after 3 years since he died, and for the 20 odd preceding his death, I am still very bitter.

I want care and understanding for dementia patients.

 

[fredsnail]

The first thing the doctors do when my Grandfather is admitted to hospital is to take him off all his drugs.

They then wonder why he's hallucinating and kicking off because he's so frightened - never do they think to put him back on his medication.

 

[nightowl]

It is soooo scary. Mum isn'y this bad but she's still s handfull and although I desperately want a chance to live my own life - and I only look after her because she is here - I am also reluctant to consider letting so called health professionals loose on her - I've already seen what they do. The Community Pyxych. Nurse (is that the CPN I see mentioned), shouted so loudly (mum is slow to answer because of brain tumour surgery and I told the woman this) that she woke up my husband who was on nights! And my husband sleeps so soundly that I can sit on the edge of the bed and dry my hair and he doesn't wake at all!

 

[KimF]

Awareness and Knowledge

As a recently qualified adult nurse I can believe all these incidents as i have seen it all myself, BUT sincerely hope that things do start to change.
With the recent Dementia Strategy and the news reports hightlighting this illness and the problems that surround the people with Dementia (as well as there carers) health professionals MUST be honest and pro-active; they either have to be willing to learn more then be more understanding and supportive or go and do a job where they are not accountable for the care they give and dont have to work with people suffering from dementia. With changing demographics today's doctors and nurses cannot avoid this illness, so knowledge and understanding is vital. I have not long completed my nurse training and realised that the last three years have shown me that this is NOT a mental health nurse issue it's everybody's business and we have to work together to help each other but most of all help these people with dementia. I am passionate about this and recently started work on my own small presentation for families and health professionals, to increase awareness and hopefully encourage others to be more pro-active.
"Please stop, think and remember, as people with dementia sometimes can't".

 

[Bookworm]

I agree with you Kim - it is vital that this is broadened out into all spheres of nursing - and if Terry Pratchett's Tsunami predictions are correct then it will mean changes to the general or "adult" nurse course as much as for the mental health one. I think the plans for the new courses to start year after next will have more teaching and learning shared between the fields of adult & mental health - which is great & a move probably to one course for all nurses eventually like most of the rest of the world with specialisation after initial qualification. Once we get that, dementia training will be an important focus for ALL nurses.......

 

[vari]

Dont loose hope

Hi guys it has been a while since i have posted on here due to just having finished my nurse training and being a newly qualified nurse on a dementia ward. As i read through your threads there is a few point id like to pick up on. Firstly it was mentioned that some professionals dont look like they have been out of school that long and at 24 myself i am one of these nurses. However putting how old i look to one side i have been a full time YOUNG carer for a family relative for many years and have been around dementia for as long as i can remember my experience both personal and professional helps me in the job that i do and gives me empathy for both my patients and their carers. Secondly i agree that there should be more training for students and nurses on dementia however you can lead a horse to water....... For me it takes a special kind of person to work in the field of dementia its not a job its a vocation and one wich i am very proud to be part of. When nurses or care assistants are over heard making rude or uncaring inappropriate comments use your voice and make a complaint its the only way things change! Im a deep believer in that yes you can train anyone to be a nurse but you are BORN a dementia nurse and although its a tough job and people always seem to critisise please take the time to give us "young ones" a go. Umberella terms of "poorly trained nurses" are as useful as the umberella term "dementia" and there are a number of us out there that do know what we are doing and really care. I wouldnt want to do any other job.

 

[Short girl]

I certainly would agree dementia training is quite critical to anyone going into any sort of caring role that predominently is with older people - although of course younger people have dementia too. Our local Alzheimers Society Outreach worker did the training here and was brilliant, infact I've done two courses which have totally broadened my understanding, it has certainly helped in my job role - not too sure about when I was looking after my Nan, but heyhoe your own are a different kettle of fish.