To receive a follow up presentation from Alzheimer’s Society on how people can live well with dementia and make use of technological aids available.
Minutes:
Caroline Wilson gave a follow-up presentation on dementia friendly communities across Southern Wiltshire, and how people could live well with dementia and make use of the various technological aids which were available.
Since the last meeting at Trafalgar School in Downton, Alderbury Whiteparish and the Grimsteads, Laverstock and Ford had all expressed an interest in becoming dementia friendly communities.
Working in conjunction with Tom Bray to plan a "Reminiscence Tea Party" in Alderbury in January 2016. Alzheimer’s Society activities organiser Kate Western would be there along with large amounts of tea and cake!
There will be an open Dementia Friends session in the afternoon and it was hoped that lots of people would want to come along. A particular aim was to involve local residents from all parts of the community, shops, businesses , taxi services, schools, doctors surgeries, as it was felt it should be a good opportunity for a post-Christmas get together.
There would be discussion and an exchange of ideas about how best to support the parishes in becoming a dementia friendly community.
Caroline was looking forward to attending the Laverstock and FordJanuary Parish meeting. A small article from the Alzheimer’s Society had been included in the Parish newsletter. It may be that they had similar requirements to Alderbury, but as with all communities it was important to recognise the differences and of course include people with dementia, and to create as many customer-facing Dementia friends as possible.
We are continuing to join forces with Safe Places, as it helped to provide a reassuring place, which increased the confidence of people when they were out and about in the city. It was hoped that the Safe Places initiative would continue to grow throughout the southern area too.
The Board had asked Caroline to explain a little about assistive technology for people with dementia. There were a few simple things that could be done to improve the environment for those living with dementia.
Alongside all the wonderful technical things that are being developed to help people there are quite a few simple things that can make huge differences to people with dementia and other visual disabilities most of them are about making things more obvious and ensuring safety.
Signage: In public areasclear dementia friendly signage is available for all areas these were usually simple and pictorial with large clear print, and were very effective.
Paint:As we age we lose the ability to see so well, this coupled with a possible cognitive problem resulting from dementia could make the world a very confusing place. Simple things like choosing the right paint colours could really help identify doors and provide contrast for light switches and door handles. In public spaces like the new campus, toilet doors should be painted a bright colour something distinctive. Not being able to find a loo can be a very distressing experience.
Lighting: Improving the lighting levels could really help at home just change a few light bulbs, make sure the curtains are drawn well back to allow for as much daylight as possible.
Flooring: Strong changes in carpet colours can be confusing for people with dementia. We also need to make sure carpet and edging strips are a similar colour to the floor as a person with dementia may see these strips as a step.
Mirrors: A mirror can be distressing for some people with dementia as they may not recognise their own reflection and they may think that their reflection is someone else.
Assistive technology
Assistive technology refers to devices or systems that can support a person to maintain their independence, safety and well being. Around the home, things like mislaying the keys can be annoying but others such as leaving the gas on can be dangerous.
Devices such as smart phones and tablets coupled with widespread internet coverage are making technology more accessible for everyone in ways we could not predict just a few years ago. Widespread use of social media such as twitter and facebook also means that people now live some of their life in a virtual environment as well as in a traditional face-to-face one.
There were many different ways that devices could help people with dementia and memory loss. A simple calendar, a notice board and sticky notes.
A few of the items that are available include:
Automated prompts and reminders
· A motion sensor can play a pre recorded message when there is movement nearby. For instance a sensor placed near the front door might remind someone to lock it.
· Another kind of reminder is that a device could be set for a certain time with a recorded message to tell someone it’s time for their medication.
· If the person with dementia has access to a tablet they may choose to display appointments, visitors, activities as well as the reassurance of the easily accessible contact details of people who can help them.
Clocks and calendars
· These can help prevent people from getting confused about the time, particularly during the longer light summer evenings.
· Clocks and calendar apps can be downloaded and can be set up to suit one’s own needs.
Medication aids
· There are lots of different medication aids available, it might be worth discussing the best options with your local chemist. Some devices can help by setting off an alarm when medication needs to be taken, the device can also be programmed to open the right compartment.
Locator devices and Solutions
· These can be used to help someone find things they regularly misplace, such as keys or a wallet, a simple electronic tag is attached to the item and a button is clicked on the locator device, the locator will need to be kept somewhere obvious, and these systems may be a little confusing.
· Another idea is to attach a small tile to each item and then link it in with a Smartphone and the location of the item can then be displayed on the smart phone.
Communication aids
· These aids support people with dementia so that they stay in touch with others .Video chat on a computer tablet or Smartphone is becoming increasingly popular. Phones can be pre programmed with frequently used numbers that are easy to find.
· For someone with speech problems communicating using cards that combine pictures and words can help.
· Talking mats is a popular app that that can be used on a computer so that people can communicate how they feel or who they want to spend time with by selecting a picture or symbol from the options available. These are increasingly available in care homes.
Safety
Safety is a big concern for people with dementia, and their carers especially if someone lives alone. Technology can help someone to remain safe and live at home for longer, often systems can be linked to Telecare which connects over the internet or telephone and may trigger community alarms, sensors, movement detectors and video conferencing.
· There are simple gadgets such as automatic movement triggered lighting.
· Automated shut off devices for a gas supply if it’s been left on, though expensive may be worth consideration.
· A water isolation device can turn a tap off if it’s left running and prevent flooding.
· Special plugs can be bought so that the bath or sink water only fills to a certain depth before the water drains. The written word may become increasingly difficult to understand but these plugs can also provide simple colour coded water temperature to prevent scalds.
· Fall sensors.
Outside the home many people with dementia have a need to walk about, they can find this a positive experience, walking does have both physical and psychological benefits. However there may be situations when there are risks such as getting lost or leaving the house during the night when someone might not be appropriately dressed. This can be a big worry to a carer, things that could help are:
· An alarm system on the on the front door or in the garden
· A tracking device or location monitoring service can use satellites or mobile phone technology, to locate someone .There are watch based devices and many new mobile phones have location finder technology so long as there is an internet signal.
Safe walking can enable people to have greater freedom and independence and can help to reduce the need for unpleasant solutions.
Although these items have many benefits they do raise ethical questions around a person's capacity and consent so wherever possible all must be discussed and agreed with the person with dementia.
There are also lots of ideas being developed to support social participation and entertainment.
Digital photo frames can provide reminiscence and conversation cues. Sensory activities can use touch to trigger light and sound, there are all sorts of mental stimulation games and are easy to use Music players and radios with simple buttons are very popular.
Benefits of assistive technology are that they can help to support an individual to remain independent and safe as well as:
· Offering a carer greater reassurance
· Improving the confidence and quality of life for someone with dementia
· Helping to manage potential risks in and around the home
· Supporting a person with dementia to live well at home for longer
· Helping with memory and recall
· Supporting a person with dementia to maintain some abilities
· Provide reassurance to carers and help them to feel less stressed
It is vital to remember that we are all different and people respond differently to various devises there are no one size fits all solutions.
The Alzheimer's Society continues to work with a number of organizations to provide more readily available information about assistive technology. Further information could be found by contacting an occupational therapist or the Wiltshire Independent living centre in Semmington near Trowbridge, which had room sets and all sorts of devices along with an experienced team who were able to offer personalised advice.
There are readily available booklets and catalogues available from the Alzheimer's Society e.g. “Making your home dementia friendly” and "Daily living aids"' and of course as this is the 21st century there is lots available on line!
References
To see an extensive range of assistive products, including both assistive technology and equipment and adaptations, see Alzheimer's Society's Daily living aids catalogue at:
shop.alzheimers.org.uk/page/daily-living-aids-catalogue/
The Chairman thanked Caroline for her presentation adding that there were real practical things we could all do to help look after people living with Dementia.