Scenario 1: Techniques to help Jane to cope at home
Scenario takeaway
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A broad subject such as "how to cope at home" covers many things. You can use the Sections in the Topic as a checklist to help you plan or guide Bob and Jane through the journey to develop simple techniques to cope at home.
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You can share relevant content within a few clicks and Save the Topic under “View as Bob and Jane” to mark it as a work in progress for them.
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Too much information may overwhelm some carers. To deliver person-centered care, you can share some Sections first, then follow up with more Sections in the future.
You can watch the video below to learn more (video coming soon).
Tasks to complete
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Think of a recent interaction where a broad question or an unmet need that you have identified in an assessment or review. Examples include driving, legal matters, palliative care etc.
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Click on the “All info” tab and browse the list of Topics that are relevant to your question or type in keywords to search. For example, “Driving and transport with dementia”, “Future planning: legal matters”, “Palliative and end of life care for people with dementia”, etc.
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Glance down the list of Sections to guide you in your questioning or next steps (don't forget to note the relevant Sections into the care plan).
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Save the Topic under “View as the Bob & Jane” and guide them to these resources and Sections over time
Scenario notes
The Scenario
Bob is a client of yours and has recently been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment with possible Alzheimer’s Disease. He lives at home with wife and carer, Jane.
At a recent meeting, Jane mentions to you that she’s stressed and not coping with all the changes at home after Bob’s cognition deteriorates.
She tried to find some information on the internet but was easily overwhelmed with the number of results and all the information.
Supporting Bob and Jane made easier with a checklist
Coping with changes in the earlier stages of cognitive impairment or dementia is a very broad subject that covers many things. It’s impossible to remember everything about it, such as where to refer, what needs to be done, etc.
This is when you can open the PRO and go to the Topic “Simple techniques to cope at home”. The Sections within this Topic (pictured below) act as a checklist of the key items you may want to cover, as you guide them through this journey to "develop simple ways to cope at home".
Best practice without being a dementia expert
It’s important to note that you DON'T need to be a dementia expert to provide best practice dementia care when using the PRO.
When you click on this Topic, it will show you the Sections in this Topic, which appear in the rightmost column as a checklist to guide your discussion without having to read everything first, so that you can offer direction of care without having to remember all the details at that moment.
After clicking open each Section, heading are suggestions and information which can help you provide the appropriate responses, actions and strategies with confidence and ease. This includes up-to-date, evidence-based and meticulously curated resources from experts, peak bodies and dementia specialist organisations. It also includes actionable Tips from other carers.
Providing person centred care
The PRO is available at your fingertips to use on the spot, so you can share, show Bob and Jane or print off any relevant Sections at that moment.
Then you can Save the Topic under “View as Jane & Bill” to mark it as a work in progress.
Then in a few weeks’ time, you can follow up as part of the care plan and see how they are going, before sharing other Sections, such as communication, the environment etc.
This way, you can deliver best practice care, whilst saving time by not having to search and filter the information yourself from the internet.
Note
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The scenarios do not cover all of the content in My Dementia Companion, nor all the ways it could be used. Please keep exploring!
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All the information is curated from reputable sources that are designed for people like Jane and Bill. So, assess and if relevant, share with confidence!
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Handy user tips include: why learn dementia care, shortcuts/app icons, adding us to safe sender list, registration tips, sharing, extra tips and tricks
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Contact us if you have any questions via the “Questions?” button or the chat icon within the tool, email us or sms/call us 0406 257 729 during business hours.