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BETTER UNDERSTANDING DEMEMTIA |
The first words in the 2017-2025 World Health Organisation Global Action Plan on dementia are: 'Dementia is a major cause of disability and dependency among older adults worldwide”.
These are powerful words, yet we treat those with the disability called dementia differently to others with disabilities.
For the disability of dementia, there are no requirements that ensure appropriate access to services, buildings and jobs. Dementia is an invisible disability that goes unrecognised and unsupported, but invisible does not mean imaginary.
We can inadvertently create ‘excess disability' which is loss of abilities or skills not caused by dementia. A common way this can happen is when those supporting the person with dementia take over doing things that the person could still do for themselves.
For example, we might start to butter the person's toast in an attempt to be helpful and speed things up, even though the person is still capable of doing this (albeit slowly). This can result in the person losing that skill as they're no longer using those memory pathways. There is no physiological reason for the loss, it is caused by lack of practice. This is an excess disability.
In a similar manner, we can de-skill people by talking for them, making choices for them or not being clear in what we say.
Much can be done to upskill those supporting people with dementia to ensure those with dementia are not disabled any further.
Ruth Thomas, lead specialist care manager, EnlivenPlus. Phone 07 547 4349.
