Dementia care
Dementia care and adapting to the pandemic
Rotherham-based Exemplar Health Care operates 30 specialist nursing care homes for adults living with complex and high acuity needs across Yorkshire, the Midlands, the north-east and the north-west. Here, senior quality manager for dementia care Tracey Carter sets out how the provider has maintained standards of dementia care during the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for people living with dementia, as well as for those who support them. It is vital that health and social care workers, other professionals and family carers continue to take a person-centred approach to care during the pandemic, to support people with dementia to maintain, and enhance, their health and wellbeing. During this challenging time, colleagues across Exemplar Health Care have found innovative ways to support people living with dementia to stay safe and well, and uphold the principles of person-centred care. There are currently around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, each with their own unique personalities and life stories. Everyone will experience the pandemic and its effects differently, which is why it is important to maintain a person-centred approach. At the start of lockdown, care homes
were cut off and isolated from the wider community which posed a significant shift for service users and care workers. In response, we quickly adapted many of our ways of working, systems and processes to adhere to national guidelines and safety policies. However, when it comes to our
approach to care at this time, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Four key areas of need We adapted and adopted a creative approach to ensure that the same quality of person-centred care was achieved with lockdown restrictions in place. To achieve this, Exemplar Health Care divided its approach into four key areas of need.
The needs of people living with dementia One of the most important things for us was to identify how each individual communicates pain and discomfort, so we could monitor them for signs of Covid-19. Some older people living with
We have had to think creatively about how to use space differently and reduce the risks from social isolation as well as risks of possible infection
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dementia may have different symptoms or are unable to communicate when they are experiencing one of the common symptoms of the virus. We provided training to support our
care teams to look for signs that might indicate that people have the symptoms of Covid-19, such as changes to their personality or everyday behaviours. We also assessed potential communication challenges, like the use of full PPE that could frighten or upset people living with dementia, and continue to work with individuals and their loved ones to ease any stress. Some examples are wearing a name
badge and photo on clothing, using drawings or written words to communicate and playing music to aid relaxation.
Combatting loneliness Combatting loneliness has been a huge priority during the pandemic. At
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • April 2021
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