Dementia care


dementia residents in a way that does not require them to extract information from them. This can be an uncomfortable experience and even daunting for them, especially if they do not recognise the face in front of them. Instead, a simple scroll on a handheld


device can answer any questions around a resident’s routine, what they like to talk about and what makes them feel better if they are upset. Interactions, then, naturally become easier and more interactive for both parties and friendships can be developed and fostered through trust.


Pain monitoring Crucially, software that helps carers identify, monitor and reduce pain enables care homes to deliver better dementia care, too. By utilising the continued technological advancements to their advantage, caregivers can detect and measure involuntary micro-facial expressions typically associated with pain.


This allows carers to identify the


presence and quantify the severity of pain in those living with dementia, who are often unable to verbalise their discomfort. The value of these technologies, which make it possible for carers to intervene and reduce pain in its early stages, cannot be underestimated. Indeed, having a wealth of information


at your fingertips that can improve someone’s quality of life is an incredible thing - and not too long ago seemed unachievable. Now, we live in a world where technology is integrated into everything around us and can be used to enhance the mental and physical wellbeing of others. Certainly, the value of technology has been highlighted over the last 18 months with residents and relatives reliant upon it to keep in touch.


Video conferencing During the coronavirus crisis, video conferencing was the only sustainable format for care home residents to remain connected to the outside world. Being able to stay in touch with loved ones over such a substantial period of isolation has helped maintain the wellbeing of residents, especially those living with dementia who may otherwise have felt lonely. Now commonplace in care homes, video calling facilities are here to stay.


While they are no replacement for face- to-face visits, these allow residents to remain in touch with friends and family anywhere in the world. For example, technology such as Person Centred Software’s Relatives Gateway, allows residents’ family members to interact with their loved ones in real-time – anywhere and anytime – via a secure online platform. Messages and photo updates can


be sent throughout the day and, where necessary, care plans can be shared with the appropriate parties, too. Offering assurances to relatives that their loved ones are doing well and receiving the care that they require and deserve, such technologies can increase transparency and help foster trust. For family members who cannot be present in caring for someone living with dementia, this trust is fundamental and, therefore, invaluable.


Transforming care delivery Other technologies helping transform care delivery include acoustic listening devices, which can be installed in resident bedrooms. With the resident’s agreement, these can be switched on at night allowing staff to ‘keep an ear’ on noises in any particular bedroom, rather than having to patrol rooms and potentially hinder people’s sleep. By reducing interruptions to a resident’s sleep, they will be more refreshed and less likely to exhibit behaviours typically associated with dementia. Furthermore, better sleep also


correlates with better appetite and a reduction in falls, which in turn decreases the risk of hospital admissions. If hospital admissions occur, technology is proving helpful in ensuring the efficient transfer of residents between care settings. By enabling interoperability, or ‘joined up care’, technology allows for important information about a resident and their health to be shared instantly with hospitals and ambulance services.


Conclusion There is a reason so many care providers are digitalising their care environments – they understand that care technology can help and support the caregiver and receiver at a rate never achieved before. They are seeing that digital care management systems, which focus on each resident and their individual goals or wishes, encourage a more person-


December 2021 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


centred approach to care delivery. It is clear to see, then, the vast benefits


of using technology in social care. Care providers are increasingly learning how its flexibility can improve the management of care delivery in real-time, whilst simultaneously ensuring that care records are kept up to date. As cases of dementia continue to rise,


so does our understanding and ability to cope with the growing number through the utilisation of user-friendly, person-centred technology. Profile-building software allows carers to gain a greater insight into the lives of the person sitting in front of them, and that truly is special.


References 1. NHS, About dementia, https://www.nhs.uk/ conditions/dementia/about/.


2. Alzheimer’s Society, NICE updates guideline on dementia for first time in 10 years, 20 June 2018, https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/ news/2018-06-22/nice-updates-guideline- dementia-first-time-10-years.


3. Alzheimer’s Society, Facts for the media, https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-us/ news-and-media/facts-media.


4. Open Access Government, Dementia Tech: Overcoming barriers to innovation post- pandemic, 11 November 2020, https://www. openaccessgovernment.org/dementia- tech-overcoming-barriers-to-innovation- post-pandemic/97338/.


TCHE


Jonathan Papworth


Jonathan Papworth is the co-founder and director of Person Centred Software, a digital care technology pioneer. Founded in 2013 to improve the quality of life for people in social care, Person Centred Software has become an award-winning global company with over 2,000 care homes in the UK and Ireland alone using its digital care management system.


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