Dementia Care Strategy

Our strategy on dementia care focuses on the value, dignity and respect of the person living with dementia and their relatives. We celebrate the strengths and competencies of each individual. We provide the appropriate support required by that individual to remain as independent and involved in everyday life as possible.

Ashbourne Senior Living has close links with University of Stirling, Bradford Dementia Group, The Alzheimer’s Society and National Association for Providers of Activities (NAPA). These links ensure that we continue to follow best practice principles in dementia care. Our Dementia Care Consultants also aim to further develop dementia care at a national level by contributing to working parties, advisory groups and speaking and presenting at conferences.

These links have strengthened our philosophy of a “person centred approach” within each of our dementia care facilities. At the centre of our approach is the person living with dementia, their family and friends.

We then consider the Communication Attitude and Response or (CAR) approach. Communication relates to the way in which we interact with any one individual in the house. Attitude is all about the way we interact with the people we are supporting. Response is the way in which we help people live with their day to day challenges or compensate for any losses suffered as a result of the dementia.

We use a number of different techniques to ensure we achieve our Dementia Strategy in each home. These techniques range from a series of road shows to Mental Health Working Groups.

Our people are key to the success of our strategy. We will continue to invest in training to ensure all our people are implementing the strategy successfully. We aim to train all our nursing and care staff in our dementia care homes using the Alzheimer’s Society certified course Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.

Another key element to our strategy is the environment of people with dementia. By adapting this environment, we know we can make a difference to the behaviours. When people with dementia find themselves in familiar and normal situations, normal behaviours and old skills are rediscovered.

How do we bring these familiar environments into the homes? By turning spare lounges and communal areas into pubs, tearooms and garden rooms.

At the same time, we aim to follow best practice in dementia sign posting to reduce disorientation, increase independence, stimulation and interest.

Where these techniques have been employed there has there has been a noticeable reduction in unusual behaviours, anxiety and agitation.

The overall result of our strategy is that we have seen a greater sense of wellbeing for our service users which, in the end, is the most important thing.