Leach-Murphy L, Patel J (2023) Effective ways to engage with people living with dementia. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 12-13. A dementia diagnosis is not evidence of an inability to communicate and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should always be respected. Liz Leach-Murphy and Jayna Patel discuss effective ways to engage with people...
Douglas P (2023) Talking Mats – The power of simply being heard. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 14-15. Talking Mats can support conversations on a wide variety of topics. Paula Douglas explains how this tool helps people with communication difficulties express their views and have more control. Talking Mats is a social enterprise with a...
Williamson T, Maddocks C, Hewat E (2023) Dementia friendly care homes – an audit by people with lived experience. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 16-18. Dementia friendly audits have become more common in various settings, but less so in care homes. Toby Williamson describes a ground-breaking care home audit, while lived experience auditor Chris Maddocks...
Cook R (2023) Dementia – Post Diagnostic Support, early evaluation. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 19-21. Patchy post-diagnostic support can lead to feelings of abandonment among people newly diagnosed with dementia. Ruth Cook reports on a new multi-agency post-diagnostic support service designed to help people adjust to their diagnosis. In recent years the need for...
Peake N (2023) Chess as a Form of Cognitive Stimulation: A Reflective Piece. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 22-24. Cognitive stimulation can be an effective way to reduce cognitive decline and improve wellbeing. In this reflection on her case study of “BW”, Natalie Peake considers the potential of chess as a form of cognitive stimulation...
Surr C, Smith S, Latham I (2023) Good dementia education and training. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 25-28. Good dementia education and training depends not just on content but on the context in which it is delivered. Claire Surr, Sarah Smith and Isabelle Latham present two models for helping to ensure that education and training...
Eley R, Redwood P, Walker M (2023) Home, identity and dementia. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 29-31. What does “home” mean to people with dementia and how can the sense of identity associated with home be preserved through life’s transitions? In the second in a series of articles, Ruth Eley, Penny Redwood and Marney Walker...
Flannigan L, Carson J, Mitchell-Ward S, Watchman K (2023) New guidance to support people with a learning disability and advancing dementia move into a care home setting. Journal of Dementia Care 31(4) 32-34. As people with a learning disability live longer lives, they find themselves at a higher than average risk of dementia which may...
Perspectives by Alison Teader The National Day of Arts in Care Homes takes place on 24 September and is managed by the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA). The aim of this annual event is to highlight good work and promote discussion. It provides an opportunity for care and arts partners to promote the beneficial outcomes...
Every week we hold a Dementia Diarists Zoom meeting. We’ve been doing this since the start of lockdown, and have spent more than 200 hours together over that time. It’s a very relaxed group, and have become very close during the last three years. We share news, discuss topics of the moment, and sometimes we...