• Two days

Target group:

• Professionals and volunteers working with people with Alzheimer's disease. The course will be contextualised on the basis of the people attending so as to be made relevant to staff working in field social work, day care, residential home care settings or as volunteers.

Synopsis of the Programme:

The Theory

An understanding of Alzheimer's disease as a form of irreversible chronic confusion. An understanding of the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease. The brain and behaviour - what happens in Alzheimer's disease. Meeting the needs of the person with Alzheimer's disease - a person centred approach

• An exercise which simulates the experience of Alzheimer's disease in order to better understand how we can help people with Alzheimer's disease feel valued, important and appreciated.
• Exercises to learn how we can communicate successfully with people with Alzheimer's disease.
• Group exercises to explore ways in which we can involve the people with Alzheimer's disease more fully in the assessment process in the way in which they can be involved in their daily living routines and in the decisions about their daily living.

The Context of Care - The Role of Relatives

• Models of care and how they affect the way in which we behave in different settings.
• The relationship between relatives and professional staff.

Practice Issues

• Assessment and care planning for people with Alzheimer's disease.
• The development of strategies which enable us to cope better with some of the behaviours which we find challenging.
• Dealing with wandering, violence, aggression and sexually inappropriate behaviour.
• Taking care of ourselves.