Karen Clayton, dementia environment specialist, Find Memory Care, explains how a government-funded project to promote custom-designed care for residents with dementia, led to overall benefits for staff, residents and their families as well as long-term cost savings
Research continues to provide evidence that enhanced environments do improve quality of life for those living with dementia. A good environment will give people the opportunity to make choices on where they spend their time and what activities they participate in.
A simple act such as finding the toilet unaided or going to the dining room for a cup of coffee gives a person an immediate sense of achievement and can be mood uplifting. Going to the toilet alone not only provides privacy and dignity, but can improve quality of personal care too. Orientation aids that provide good clues about where to go can encourage activity such as walking and social interaction, which in turn increase appetite and fitness levels, reducing nausea, falls, incontinence, stress and agitation.
With the current climate in healthcare, funding is precious and it is so important to make good choices. Too often we hear, “We can’t afford to make the changes,” but with an increasing number of people who will need care, reduced available funds and a lack of staff, the real question should be “Can we afford not to do it?”
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