I have recently been speaking with a documentary production team for Channel 4 about experiences people have had with Dementia Care Homes. They are interested particularly in the following topics:
– Prescription of anti-psychotics
– Finding a Dementia Care home which can accommodate residents throughout the stages of their illness.
– Dementia Care training and standards
My own experience with my mother in a care home who now has severe dementia has thankfully been a very positive experience. In brief with regard to drugs we are always advised on what drugs she is prescribed – and these are directed by her own local GP that visits the home on a weekly basis. Never have I felt that she is being pushed full of any drug which is more in the interest of either the home or the NHS pocket. The home she is at is one that claims she can stay there throughout her dementia stages. So far this has been the case – she went in there 2 years ago, with very early stages and the disease has progressed significantly. Unless she were to become a physical threat to other residents it is clear that she can stay there. Lastly re dementia training standards, although I don’t know the actual training programmes undertaken, they clearly are trained as evident in the way they cope with all residents in both the standard of care they offer and their face to face interaction with them. The main staff members definitely are officially qualified and the home actually offer monthly evening sessions for people who have relatives staying there.
I think it is important to document that there are care homes offering a very good and high standard – and to use these homes as examples of what one should expect in terms of care.
All of the above can be found in the talkhealth dementia forum http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=154&t=2824 , and I would very much welcome others feedback either in our forum, as comments here or alternatively I am happy to forward your details directly to the production team if you wish to contribute to their programme. All communication with the production team will be treated as ‘off the record’ at this stage. To email me office@talkhealthpartnership.com and mark Dementia Care Homes.
Catriona
Hello - I am Catriona and part of the talkhealth team. I initially started my blog based on my experiences of having a mother with the diagnosis of vasular dementia. Any views expressed are my own.
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