Welcome to My Dementia Companion PRO tutorial on how to unpack daily challenges or change behaviours for someone living with dementia, or cognitive decline and their families, and how you can support them.

 

This session will help you to problem solve and identify unmet needs to manage change behaviours, including gathering background information and developing management strategies to give to family or care workers.

 

There are many types of change behaviours, including repetition wandering (walk about), hallucination, aggression, eating or drinking difficulties, hoarding etc.

 

You can easily search for them in the PRO which will help provide you with evidence-based and practical videos, suggestions and Carer Tips to help.

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In addition, it's important to note that most of the change behaviours are caused by unmet needs, which act as triggers for that behaviour change. So, it's important for us to become 'Dementia Detectives' and learn how to investigate or understand those triggers.

 

You can do this easily by using the PECT model, which is an acronym for 'P'ersonal, 'E'nvironment, 'C'ommunication and 'T'ask. This will help you to start identifying what is triggering or happening for that person. And the solutions become clearer.

 

We've used a few examples in this tutorial to help you get into this way of thinking. In this example, we will look at wandering or walking about. Using PECT, we start to understand what's happening for their Personal experience and why are they wandering. We identify that they're hungry. Once we understand their Personal need, we look at the Environment and identify that finding the kitchen is a challenge. So, we look at dementia friendly signs to assist. We've noticed that the client has become more aggressive towards their carer. Improving Communication between the client and carer by installing signage to find the kitchen and where they can locate everything they need, once they are there, has increased the clients independence to have something to eat when they're hungry, and reduce the care strain on the support that's needed. It's also important to understand any Tasks or steps that the client needs to make, to ensure they have all the tools they need. If a client is not eating, what tasks might be a challenge for them. For example, cutting up food etc.

 

Here are some other examples. This is a big part of living well with dementia, and by problem solving daily challenges and change behaviours with each person, we truly are putting the person at the center of the care and support we provide.

 

To make this easier for you to remember, a link to problem solving using PECT is attached to every Section on change behaviour or daily challenge. So, when you have searched and you're Sharing a Section on a specified change behaviour, be sure to highlight this to the families. It will empower them to make a difference in their day-to-day lives caring for their loved ones.

 

Using the PECT to problem solve will reduce incidents, mitigate risks and create improved care outcomes for your clients.

 

PRO Tip: you can click on the reminder link to refresh your memory at any time, or you can search for it as you search anything else changed. Behaviour plans are key to someone living well with cognitive decline or dementia. Don't forget to update the plans with what you have shared and your PECT workup.

 

Note that the PRO is an important tool and ensures teams are sourcing evidence-based quality and up-to-date information from the same place. The PRO app should be used as a prompt to support professional training and judgment. Expand and collapse Sections by clicking on the heading to help you orientate yourself. If you're not sure where you are in the app, click on the 'Home' tab to go back to the journey view. Learn more tips and tricks in the 'Welcome to PRO! Start tutorial here' and don't forget you can contact us via the 'Questions?' button, the 'Chat; icon or the 'Suggestions' link located in each Section. Thank you for doing the wonderful work you do and being dementia change makers!