This allows choosing 1 person or more to make decisions about things like:
- daily routine (eg eating and what to wear)
- medical care
- moving into a care home
- refusing life-sustaining treatment
This Lasting Power of Attorney can only be used once someone is unable to make their own decisions. This lets a person with dementia choose 1 person or more to make decisions about money and property for them, eg:
- paying bills
- collecting benefits
- selling their home
( accessed 2012-12-04)
Human Rights Act 1998
-People with dementia and their carers have the right to live as independently as possible with to recreational, leisure and cultural life in their community. They have the right to full participation in care needs assessment, planning, deciding and arranging care, support and , including advanced decision making.
-People with dementia and their carers have the right to be able to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms in every part of their daily lives and wherever they are, including full respect for their dignity, beliefs, individual circumstances and privacy. They also have the right to be free from discrimination based on any grounds such as age, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs, social or other status.
-People with dementia have the right to help to attain and maintain maximum independence, physical, mental, social and vocational ability, and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life.
-People with dementia and their carers have the right to access to opportunities for community education and lifelong learning.
-People with dementia have the right to health and social care services provided by professionals and staff who have had appropriate on dementia and human rights to ensure the highest quality of service.
They have the right to:
- the right to live in dignity and security and be free of exploitation, violence and physical, mental or sexual abuse
- economic, social and cultural rights including the right to an adequate standard of living including, social protection
- the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
( accessed 2012-12-04)
Data Protection Act 1998 is also relevant to people with dementia because they should have all their information and data kept safely and be not revealed to any other person that their advocate.
National Service Framework for older People
Set out good practice guidance in the care of older people. The framework sets out 8 main areas;
- Rooting out discrimination
- Person-centred care
- Intermediate care
- General hospital care
- Stroke
- Falls
- Mental health in older people
- The promotion of health and active life in older age.
Health and social care managers should ensure all staff working with older people in the health, social care and voluntary sectors have access to dementia-care training (skill development).
- According to the needs of the staff being trained, trainers should consider the following when developing educational programmes:
- early signs and symptoms suggestive of dementia and its major subtypes
- natural history, signs and symptoms, and prognosis
- impact of the condition on the person with dementia and carers, family and social network
- assessment and treatment, including administration of medication and monitoring side effects
- person-centred care in dementia
- communication skills
- assertive outreach techniques for people not engaged with services
- roles of staff and agencies involved in care and basic advice on how they should work together
- introduction to local adult protection policy and procedures, including the reporting of concerns or malpractice and who to contact
- palliative care approach.
Training programmes should be adjusted for staff caring for people with learning disabilities.
In local mental health and learning disability services:
- managers should set up consultation and communication channels for care homes and other services
- Liaison teams should offer regular consultation and training for healthcare professionals in acute hospitals who provide care for people with dementia. This should be planned by the acute hospital trust in conjunction with mental health, social care and learning disability services.
In primary care, there should be an evidence-based educational intervention, such as decision-support software and practice-based workshops, to improve the diagnosis and management of dementia.
Health and social care staff should be trained to anticipate behaviour that challenges and how to manage violence, aggression and extreme agitation, including de-escalation techniques and methods of physical restraint.
Healthcare professionals who use medication in the management of violence, aggression and extreme agitation should:
- be trained in the use of drugs for behavioural control (benzodiazepines and antipsychotics)
- be able to assess the risks of pharmacological control of violence, aggression and extreme agitation, particularly in dehydrated and physically ill people
- understand the cardiorespiratory effects of the acute administration of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics and the need to titrate dose to effect
- recognise the importance of nursing people who have received these drugs in the recovery position and monitoring pulse, blood pressure and respiration
- be trained in the use of resuscitation equipment and undertake annual retraining in resuscitation techniques
- understand the importance of maintaining an unobstructed airway.
( accessed 2012-12-04)
The health and social care workers should be using self centred approach towards people and should treat them as individuals rather than seeing them just as their job getting it done. Their responsibilities are to ensure all the legislations are being used and under no circumstances law is broken and people are treated with respect and dignity.
by
ewelina941 (student)
