Dementia: Supporting Patients Through Significant Life Events

This report examines the impact of significant life events on individuals, particularly focusing on a service user experiencing pregnancy and a patient diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia. It analyses the responses from family, friends, and healthcare professionals, highlighting the importance of positive support systems. The report also evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of social care organisation policies, such as those within the NHS, in supporting individuals with dementia. Furthermore, it discusses the role of external sources in providing dementia support during challenging life events and concludes with recommendations for improving available support within organisations, emphasising the need for comprehensive medical care, emotional support, and a positive environment to enhance patient well-being and recovery.

SUPPORTING
SIGNIFICANT LIFE
EVENTS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1 Impact of significant life event on service user ......................................................................1
2 Possible responses from family and friends on life event .......................................................2
3 Impact of significant life event on care workers and professionals.........................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
4 Analysation of possible response from organisation to the individual need for support.........4
5 Strength and weaknesses of social care organisation policies in supporting person with
dementia .....................................................................................................................................5
6 Evaluation of dementia support provided by external sources for significant life events ......6
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
7 Letter for recommendation to improve available support in the organisation.........................7
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Life events in any individual's life are various phases from which a person goes through.
Every person reacts differently on different conditions in life. Significant life consequences are
the ones which changes the whole life of person. Due to these events thoughts and surrounding
of person gets changed. Some changes impact positively and some negatively. Everyone wants
to make life good and always seeks to maintain a balance in their life. Life is full of
uncertainties and bad events can happen at any time in anyone’s life. Impact of life event
depends on type of the occurrence. Present report discusses about effects of significant lie
occurrences on service user. Response of person on these consequences have been determined.
Furthermore, support that is given from family, communities and social care home has been
explained in the report. Strengths and weaknesses of policies made by organisation are analysed
in the report. Moreover, the report discusses about impact of life events on social networks of
person.
TASK 1
1 Impact of significant life event on service user
Consequences of happening in life of human can be either positive or negative. Life of a
person can never remain same all the time (Rapsomaniki, Timmis and Williams, 2014). On event
can be good for person and bad for another one. For example, pregnancy and menopause are
some situation in which all people do not react identically. Various social care homes like
National health services (NHS) provide support to these people whose life have been impacted
by different occurrences. For example, I have worked with a service user (Simon) who was
going through pregnancy. She was having some mental weakness due to this event. She was
passing through various stages of this event. Due to this her behaviour got impacted a lot.
She was having various moods like sometime her reaction was not according to the
situation. On same situation, her reaction was contradicting to the previous one. She was getting
care and medical assistance for that period in social care home. There she got proper medical
care and mental support. Her family and social networks have been asked to give her full support
during her pregnancy. Her family and husband were discussed about her physical, mental and
emotional changes. They were asked to give her full support mentally and emotionally so that
she cannot get negative thought in her mind about her pregnancy (Heslop, Blair and Russ, 2014).
After getting care and assistance in social care home various significant changes were seen in her
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behaviour. Her family has given her full support during that period. He mental weakness due to
pregnancy has been cured by proper medical care from organisation. Her behaviour and moods
were normal after proper emotional and metal support given by her family. Proper counselling is
required for very person during his/ her significant life events. Health care organisations (Square,
2013) helps a lot during various diseases for which a person goes through. Service user was
satisfied with the care provided by social care home. Her recommendations to other people has
supported them to get proper assistance. Thus, various life occurrence in life of person comes
with both positive and negative impact.
2 Possible responses from family and friends on life event
There are likely positive and negative responses that could be observed in service user’s
friends and family (Greaves, Ramirez-Cano and Donaldson, 2013). There is possibility that they
can give her positive support in her pregnancy period. They can help her in making this period of
life happy. Her family can give her support and care so that she could behave positively on every
physical change. Relative and friends of service user can help her emotionally. They can give her
proper care and support. They need to understand her mood and weird behaviour due to her
internal changes. They can spend time with her so that she would not feel lonely. Their caring
gestures will help her in accepting her physical and emotional changes positively. She needs a
positive environment around her so that she cannot get any negative thoughts about her
situation.
Friends of Simon should meet her weekly which will help her in feeling that she is
surrounded with many people who are there for her in every situation. Proper meals should be
provided to her according to her moods. She should be given proper medical care in order to deal
with changes she will go through in future. Family gathering should be organised so that she will
get appropriate environment. Friends can talk to her and share her problems. They can give her
good suggestions that will assist her in maintaining balance in her life. Thus, she should be given
happy environment around her not negative thoughts should be there.
If Simon gets negative responses like family member do not support her. Friends will
neglect her and do not help her in dealing with her current situation. This will result impact her
physical and mental health. If family members react negatively and do not give her medical care
then she will not be able to deal with her pregnancy. She will start getting negative thought about
and might get metal disease. In that situation, social care home like NHS can help her in giving
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medical services (Rapsomaniki, Timmis and Williams, 2014). They can give her proper
counselling sessions to deal with her current situation. Service user can get proper environment
needed in such situation in care home. They will support Simon in building positivity in her.
However, Simon is getting positive support from her family and friends and no negativity is
around her. Thus, responses can be negative and positive both which can influence individual’s
life event.
3 Impact of significant life event on care workers and professionals
Care workers and professionals of the NHS should be considered as important factor in
influencing the events of individual's life (Greaves, Ramirez-Cano and Donaldson, 2013).
Several reactions can come from various health care workers base on situation of person.
Knowledge and understanding of professionals is the man factor which can impact life event of
service user. Various reaction can be expected from Simon on health care services provided by
workers of organisation (Ventola, 2014). If any worker of the social care home has little
knowledge and understanding about condition of person then there will be negative outcomes.
Some professionals do their work properly and some don’t. There is a possibility that service
user can react differently on care provided by professionals. Responses of service user on each
condition can impact positively and negatively on person.
Negative reactions of workers can impact on physical and mental health of her. She will
start avoiding workers and do not listen to their advices properly. Changes in her mental and
physical health should be given proper attention by workers. If they do not possess skills of
handling her situation then it will negatively impact her life event. However, if worker have
proper knowledge about health of service user they can help her in recovering from particular
health problem. Good suggestions and advices from workers of social care impact positively on
service user's life event. Professionals can take advices from patient’s family member so that
they can treat her accordingly (Gerding and et.al., 2015.). Continuous assistance from social care
professional’s influences life event of a person to great extent. Sudden change in any one’s life
impact badly and brings many consequences with it.
Positive responses are required from social workers so that patient can recover from his/
her condition. Health professional must do their work in way that can impact life event of person
positively. Management of care homes should control and monitor the activities of workers.
Management should ensure that behaviour of nay worker is not impacting negatively service
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user's life (Min and et.al., 2013). In the above case of Simon care home workers should give her
positive environment. This will help her in achieving good mental and physical health during her
pregnancy. Professional and workers of organisation must know about dealing according to the
condition of person. They should create positivity around patients. Workers must counsel each
person know about individual life vent and consequences associated with its.
TASK 2
4 Analysation of possible response from organisation to the individual need for support
According to the case study a person in NHS organisation is diagnosed with Alzheimer's
and having symptoms of dementia (Ventola, 2014). Patient is very upset with condition and
family of patient is also worried. Residential care homes are the places where home like care and
environment is provided to patient. Professionals working there give all the services which are
needed by service user in his/ her disease (Reis and Gable, 2015). All the basic needs of patient
to deal with disease are provided by NHS. As a manager of organisation there is a responsibility
that proper services should be given to patient suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. The
manager can provide all medical and care required by patient. All the change and impact of this
disease can be mitigated to some level by getting proper care from family, friends, communities
and social homes. They can response in following ways:
 Family members can help by supporting a lot of time with patient. They can give him
positive environment in which he can feel better they can take him to counsellor who can
analyse the situation of patient. Family member should take him to expert for
counselling. They should visit him on timely basis so that he would not feel alone.
 Friends of person should provide him metal support to deal with his disease. They can
help him in understanding things by showing him signs and pictures. Friends should meet
the person timely so that the patient will not feel alone.
 Local groups and communities should provide him financial support needed for medical
treatment. They should give him monetary support which is must for him to get best
medical care and services.
Social care organisations play an important role in providing support to patient suffering
from Alzheimer's. Care homes like NHS (O'Hara and Wisner, 2014) can provide bets facilities
to the admitted patient which will support patient can recover early form the disease. The health
care organisation can give him advice and medical support which is required. Management of the
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organisation should make a plan for proper treatment of the patient. Workers should behave well
with the service user. They should help him in understanding things around him. They should
help patient in thinking positively and do not get stress about his disease. Family and friends
need to be more careful about the condition of patient. Their support is must with medical care in
fast recovery.
5 Strength and weaknesses of social care organisation policies in supporting person with
dementia
As per the (Brooker and Latham, 2015) dementia is not a disorder but it is a condition in
which brain of an individual gets unable to understand things properly. Alzheimer's is a situation
in which person tends to forget things. NHS organisation has some policies and procedures
which shows their quality of services (Square, 2013). It is an independent organisation and it
focuses on providing best services to their patients. It provides medical treatment to person
according to their past experiences. Due to that professionals easily identifies about the problem
of person suffering from Alzheimer's. Care plan is made by organisation according to the need
and type of the disease person is going through. Plan is changed if the person requires extra care
and treatment. In case of dementia and organisation has plans in which workers provides
medicine to patient timely.
Patient do no take medicine himself due to disease of forgetting things. Professionals and
worker of the organisation treats patient nicely and give environment like home. Social care is
very much committed to its policies and provides effective care and treatment. Workers of the
NHS (Taylor, McNeill and Aveyard, 2014) are dedicated and take care of the person and help
them in recovering from Alzheimer's. Care plan of the health care includes supervising patients,
improvement in condition and regularly updating worker about needs of patient. However, there
are some procedure which need to be improved in the organisation. Some worker of the care
home is lacking in handling person when he gets aggressive due to his illness. This problem can
be solved by giving training to staff members. Sometimes activities of workers remind him his
problems and situation he is going through. Organisation is having some flaws in its policies
which are creating some problem to patients in getting best services. Staff of the social care
communicates with family and friends of patient so that they can know about condition of patient
perfectly. Biggest strength of the organisation is its staff is always available for emergency
conditions.
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6 Evaluation of dementia support provided by external sources for significant life events
National health service ensures proper care and treatments to each individual person
suffering from dementia (Umberson and et.al., 2014.). It focuses on providing good and fast
recovery from illness. The person going through dementia requires special care and concern. It I
required that all needs of patient should be fulfilled in order to recover from disease. Health care
organisation can take help from external sources to handle patient carefully. Health care home
(Square, 2013) can get help form external sources for training of their staff workers. External
sources such as financial, counselling professionals, medical help etc. These source from outside
gives training to worker for caring and handling person suffering from dementia. These training
supports employees of care home in handling people carefully.
Training also constitutes indicating sources that can help person with Alzheimer's in
understanding things. Staff workers can use these sources to make patient understand everything
form signs and pictures. There are many other ways like use of pictures and videos to help
person with dementia. The organisation can also use education material in which various videos
that make it easier for patient to know about things he has forgot. Workers of the health care help
people in remembering things of their past. Sometime care taker who is handling patient gets
frustrated from repeatedly asked questions from patients. This problem can be solved by giving
proper guidance to service user so that he will depend on worker for everything. Social care
home can get support from external adviser who can give solution about handling person with
Alzheimer’s efficiently.
There is various help group available who works for providing training on handling
patients. Organisation can hire specialist of dementia who can help in better recovery form
disease. Psychiatric specialist can support service user in getting rid form the current dementia
situation. Care home can provide treatment of dementia by getting help form expert doctors who
can help patient in fast recovery (Feeney and Collins, 2015). Taking help fork external sources is
the main responsibility of the health care home in order to treat patient nicely. Dementia
requires proper and special care for the person affected by it. Thus, sometime help form external
sources is must for handling the situation.
TASK 3
7 Letter for recommendation to improve available support in the organisation
To,
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The manager,
Association for Dementia, UK,
3rd floor, 459 ABC road,
London In 5, 9 PA.
Subject: Recommendations to improve available support in the organisation.
Dear Sir / Mam,
I , John Williams an employee and care worker of Nation health service organisation of
UK want to inform you that our care home is doing well in providing services to patient
suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's for last two years. Organisation is giving best quality
services to patients and getting positive and getting positive response. Our care home is getting
success in helping people with dementia problem. It has becoming popular after declared as best
social care home for Alzheimer's. Government of the country is also helping and supporting us
by providing financial assistance. We are getting support form external sources also to provide
training to our workers in handling people going through dementia.
As a worker of NHS, I am requesting you to give us support in providing better services
to patients. Your support will help our organisation to give better treatment to people.
Association for dementia is is very helpful in eliminating the disease f and making life of people
happy. It has been recommended that proper training to our workers is given so they can handle
people carefully. Counselling session are required in our organisation to improve our services to
counsel person. It is required that our organisation can help people in early stages of dementia so
it can be eradicated earlier. Society should be aware about signs and symptoms of Dementia and
Alzheimer’s. Early awareness will help people in getting prepare mentally about disease. If we
can work together for this awareness and eradicating dementia then it will be beneficial for the
society. We have to come together for eliminating this issue. So, I recommend that your
association should help is in promoting awareness about this health problem.
I will be highly obligated if you look into this matter and give us required assistance.
Thanking You,
Yours obediently,John Williams
Conclusion
Form the above report it can be concluded that life events impact a lot in on any
individual. Special care and health care services should be given to person going through disease
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and life event. Health professional of care homes can provide treatment to patient to get rid form
disease Proper family support is required for a person suffering from Alzheimer's. It is equal
responsibility of both family and social care homes to support people who are going through
some bad phase of life. Health care workers should be trained enough to handle these kind of
persons. Individual can recover if proper support is given.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brooker, D. and Latham, I., 2015. Person-centred dementia care: Making services better with
the VIPS framework. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Feeney, B. C. and Collins, N. L., 2015. A new look at social support: A theoretical perspective
on thriving through relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review. 19(2).
pp.113-147.
Gerding, D. N. and et.al., 2015. Administration of spores of nontoxigenic Clostridium difficile
strain M3 for prevention of recurrent C difficile infection: a randomized clinical trial.
Jama. 313(17). pp.1719-1727.
Greaves, F., Ramirez-Cano, D. and Donaldson, L., 2013. Harnessing the cloud of patient
experience: using social media to detect poor quality healthcare. BMJ quality & safety,
pp. bmjqs-2012.
Heslop, P., Blair, P. S. and Russ, L., 2014. The Confidential Inquiry into premature deaths of
people with intellectual disabilities in the UK: a population-based study. The Lancet.
383(9920). pp.889-895.
Min, J. A. and et.al., 2013. Psychological resilience contributes to low emotional distress in
cancer patients. Supportive care in cancer. 21(9). pp.2469-2476.
O'Hara, M. W. and Wisner, K. L., 2014. Perinatal mental illness: definition, description and
aetiology. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 28(1). pp.3-12.
Rapsomaniki, E., Timmis, A. and Williams, B., 2014. Blood pressure and incidence of twelve
cardiovascular diseases: lifetime risks, healthy life-years lost, and age-specific
associations in 1· 25 million people. The Lancet. 383(9932). pp.1899-1911.
Reis, H. T. and Gable, S. L., 2015. Responsiveness. Current Opinion in Psychology. 1. pp.67-
71.
Taylor, G., McNeill, A. and Aveyard, P., 2014. Change in mental health after smoking
cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis. Bmj. 348. p.g1151.
Umberson, D. and et.al., 2014. Race, gender, and chains of disadvantage childhood adversity,
social relationships, and health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 55(1). pp.20-38.
Ventola, C. L., 2014. Mobile devices and apps for health care professionals: uses and benefits.
PT. 39(5). pp.356-364.
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Online
Square, T., 2013. A guide to confidentiality in health and social care. [Online]. Available
through: <http://www.hscic.gov.uk/confguideorg>. [Accessed on 19th June2017].
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