Please note: These are examples of what staff have done that have led to better outcomes for the people involved. However, it is important to recognise they will not suit everyone’s needs but serve to offer potential suggestions and to encourage you to explore alternative solutions that may help. Each example is the result of firstly getting to know and understand the individual, being curious to find solutions to providing better care and closely monitoring the outcomes of any changes made. If initiating suggestions given from the stories shared, we would encourage you to safeguard that person-centred care is in place and that you complement your learning from these stories with the relevant training needed to ensure you have the confidence and knowledge required.
Now take time to reflect.
Think of an individual you support…
Would this advice work for the person you support?
What else do you need to think about?
How can you implement this? What help do you need to do this?
Do you disagree with any aspect of the video?
on the small but important changes you can make to improve communication. offers the chance to hear from the podiatry service in NHS Fife who describe how to use Talking Mats and how they have been implementing their use to improve service experience for people with dementia. offers the chance to hear what the Five Good Communication Standards are and how Speech and Language Therapy, in Lothian, have been using them to foster best practice for people in care homes living with dementia. is a visual communication framework which supports people with communication difficulties to express their feelings and views. Training is required, at a cost, to ensure you are competent and confident engaging in this form of communication. provides guidance for problems with eating, drinking and swallowing.
Practical dementia resources