Working with professionals
Since launching the My Dementia Companion tool to help family and friend carers navigating this complex journey, many professionals are using it to help them in their work!
Based on our conversations and feedback, we thought we would share a couple of examples so professionals can utilise the tool to save them time and enhance their clients’ outcome.
We have written about the two examples for care/ case managers, and dementia nurses/ educators in detail here.
Improvement 1: new Topic
We are proud to announce our new Topic “Aged care home and dementia” is now live!
As mentioned in our last newsletter, we have been working on a dedicated Topic to aged care homes (aka residential aged care). While My Dementia Companion was initially created for the community, many carers still ask us for support after their loved ones have moved into an aged care home.
This new Topic covers information on:
Getting funding for an aged care home place
Moving into a home
Setting your loved into his/her new living space
Engaging in daily living and activities at the home
Visiting at the new home
What to do when your loved one is repeatedly wanting to go home
Managing your feelings, caring for yourself and adjusting your role as a carer, after your loved one has moved out of your own home.
You can find it in the “More Support” tab or we will automatically add it for you in later stage dementia.
Improvement 2: new Section
Due to feedback, we have also added a new Section called “Telling children about the diagnosis and getting them involved” under the Topic “Telling others about the diagnosis and building a circle of support”.
This Section provides you with some useful resources on how to communicate the diagnosis to children and young adults, as well as reassuring and getting them involved in your loved one’s dementia journey.
You can search for it in the “More Support” tab.
Featured Tip
For some of us, Christmas has passed. But for some it’s very much alive for them. This is from Helen, who’s caring for her mother:
"My mum became obsessed with Christmas this year. She refuses to talk about anything else and it was driving me mad. Everything escalates when I try to convince her it’s not Christmas!
Now, instead of arguing with her, I have learnt to just “go with it.” Now when she talks about Christmas, I just say, “what do you think we should get the grandkids?” and then the topic changes. If I want to get her to have lunch instead of talking about Christmas, I will just ask her “what do you think we should have for Christmas lunch?” and then lead her to the table to try the “Christmas lunch.”"
This shows Helen just “go with it”, which is a mix of validation therapy and also diverting the conversation to reduce frustration for both herself and her mother.
This Tip is located under two Sections:
“3. Validation therapy” under the Topic: “Approaches and tools for caregiving”
“Suggestions and Tips for positive communication” under the Topic: “Communication and dementia”