looking for some advice

[abi3417]

Hi all,

My names Abi, I'm a student occupational therapist in my final year. I'm currently doing an assignment to improve services in dementia care so I have joined this site in the hope that you could advise me on your experiences with the support and care you have received. I am particularly interested in mild-moderate dementia and whether you feel that you have had enough input/support with day to day things, involvement in hobbies, and emotional support? As well as whether you feel spouses get enough practical support following a diagnosis? Is there any support you wish that you'd received but you didn't get? Any advice is much appreciated as I'd really like to get a better insight into this having not worked within this area myself.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing back from you

Abi

 

[susy]

Hi Abi, I would recommend you keep coming back to this site on a frequent basis and read. The amount you will learn about dementia in it's many forms is phenomenal. So basically look and learn xxx

Thank you as a carer of my dad that there are people like yourself interested in furthering their knowledge.

 

[abi3417]

Thank you Susy. I have just been reading some of the posts and it's giving me a great insight into the gaps in service! This assignment is giving us the opportunity to make changes which may be implemented in practice if they're good enough so I'm really passionate about it xx

 

[Isabella]

Hi Abi

Im afraid I think most carers will post the same thing. There is very little support and most people involved in 'care plan's seem just not to understand very much about what it really means to have dementia. Fairly ridiculous suggestions I got include suggesting that my mum have piano lessons to keep her busy. How can someone who doesn't know how to answer a phone or go to the toilet re learn to play the piano when she knew how to do it for 70 years and is no longer capable?

MY best advice is to spend plenty of time with people who have dementia so you really understand what it's like. I think the people from SS meant well, they just didn't have a clue where to start. I could tell just by how they spoke to my mum that they didn't really grasp how little she understood. So real life experience is essential I think.

Good luck, hope your studies go well.