There are several interventions or approaches to help people living with dementia improve their memory and thinking skills to enable them to cope better with memory loss.
This page covers:
Life history work
Advanced care planning
Where to find further information
Life history work
Our own unique life experiences shape us as individuals and sharing these with others helps them understand who we are as a person. A ‘life story’ is a record of someone’s life that can be used to great effect for people with dementia.
How life story work can help people with dementia
People with dementia often experience problems with communication and memory. Life stories can be very beneficial in helping them recall important aspects of their life and communicate these to other people, creating opportunities for connection and interaction.
Compiling a life story can:
- Help people with dementia share who they are and convey important information about themselves, their history, their likes and interests, and the things that matter to them
- Enhance the person’s sense of identity and give their life meaning
- Encourage reminiscence, which can help them retrieve memories
- Bring a sense of enjoyment and contentment through thinking about happy times and the things that bring them pleasure
- Help family members develop a closer bond with the person with dementia through sharing their stories
- Give carers, care home staff, and health and social care professionals a better understanding of the person’s life – this can help them provide better care, enable meaningful conversations and activities and make the person feel valued and respected. Even if the person with dementia has significant memory loss, a life story is a reminder that they are still the person they used to be, with a rich history and their own experiences, likes, dislikes and values. It can help you and others see the person behind their dementia.
Please visit the Dementia UK website to find out more.
Advance care planning - MOVE TO LATE STAGE
Advance care planning is a voluntary process of discussion about future care between an individual and their care providers, irrespective of discipline.
An advance care planning discussion might include:
- The individual's concerns and wishes
- Their important values or personal goals for care
- Their understanding about their illness and prognosis
- Their preferences and wishes for types of care or treatment that may be beneficial in the future and the availability of these.
Advance care planning is one part of the process of personalised care and support planning.
Key points about advance care planning
- No one is obliged to carry out advance care planning. Discuss your wishes with those close to you, eg spouse, partner, relatives or carers.
- You can include anything that is important to you no matter how trivial it may seem to others
- If you wish to refuse a specific treatment, consider making an advance decision to refuse treatment. It is recommended that anything you have written down should be signed and dated. It is recommended you seek the advice of an experienced healthcare professional if making an advance decision to refuse treatment. If you make an advance decision that refuses treatment that is life sustaining it must be in writing, signed, dated and witnessed and use a specific form of words.
- If you have named someone to speak for you or have a Lasting Power of Attorney, remember to write down their name in your advance care planning documents.
- If your wishes are in writing or if you have a Lasting Power of Attorney, keep a copy of the documentation safe and provide copies to those who need to know your wishes e.g. nurse, doctor, carer or family member.
- Remember you can change your mind at any time.
Where to find further information
The following information is found on websites. You may be able to get help to access these through your GP surgery, health or social care worker, your library or at a hospital information centre.
Dying Matters
Leaflets focusing on having discussions and planning ahead can be found on the Dying Matters website.
Mental Capacity Act
Information about the Mental Capacity Act and the supporting Code of Practice can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Office of Public Guardian
The Office of Public Guardian is there to protect people who lack capacity.
Forms and guidance on appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney are available on the gov.uk website or by calling 0300 4560300
The Mental Capacity Act in Practice
Guidance for End of Life Care (2008) – The National Council for Palliative Care can be found on the The National Council for Palliative Care website or by calling 020 7697 1520.
