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Fifteen live-in carers take part in dementia care training

October 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fifteen live-in carers take part in dementia care training

Article by Asa Stevens









FIFTEEN live-in carers took part in a dementia training day, organised by Corinium Care.The one-day course, held at the agency’s head office in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, featured all aspects of dementia from emotional issues to the physical aspects of moving and handling.Carers were given examples of what to expect from someone with dementia and offered solutions as to how to manage it.The trainees were all registered carers with Corinium who welcomed the chance to refresh their knowledge.”It’s superb that Corinium Care offers this kind of training – not all agencies do by any means,” said Jacqui Shultz, 55, from South Africa who has been a carer with Corinium for four years.”Caring for an elderly person with dementia can be tricky for both parties if you’re not prepared. This course definitely helps build your confidence.”Leading the sessions were Training and Care Manager Jeannette Pellatt, and Training Manager Suzanne Hathaway, with Managing Director Camilla Miles.Carers appreciated the opportunity to meet up with head office staff in Nailsworth.”When we’re with a client, we need to know that someone is there to support us, and the back-up we get from Corinium has been fantastic,” said Jacqui.Award-winning Corinium Care considers training a vital part of its business: last year more than 200 people took part in courses on how to look after someone with dementia.They included new and existing carers and relatives of people with dementia.The incurable disease affects about 680,000 people in the UK. According to government statistics, the number is forecast to increase by 38 per cent in the next 15 years.One in five people over 80 has a form of dementia, and one in 20 people over 65 has a form of dementia. Two thirds of care home residents have dementia.Managing Director of Corinium Care, Camilla Miles, said that helping carers to communicate with their clients is vital for the wellbeing of both parties.”People with dementia can often feel confused and incapable,” she said. “If carers haven’t come across that before, they need help to deal with it. There isn’t enough training out there for dementia care – not even for doctors and nurses – so we decided to provide it ourselves. We feel passionately about it.”Mrs Miles, who set up Corinium Care in 1995, added: “We have the opportunity to provide one-to-one dementia care in a dignified and safe environment and to allay fears about what can be a very uncertain future for the client and their families.”The agency has 800 registered carers on its books. It has 16 full-time staff in Gloucestershire, as well as recruitment offices in New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa.



About the Author

For more info on dementia care please visit http://www.coriniumcare.com










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Anger Management Therapy for Dementia Patients

October 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Anger Management Therapy for Dementia Patients

Article by Steve Hill









Older people sometimes develop dementia, a somewhat common condition that results in mental and emotional confusion. Some of these people, often those who are institutionalized, display anger outbursts due to relatively mild provocations, such as an unwanted meal item. At other times the anger is warranted, as when another resident initiates a conflict. For reasons like these and others, anger management therapy for dementia patients is becoming increasingly important.

Symptoms That May Warrant Anger Management Therapy

It may be difficult to determine at first who is eligible for anger management therapy. Residents with dementia who live at home or in nursing facilities often try to express themselves in non-traditional ways. While someone who wants their breakfast oatmeal served hotter can just say so, someone with dementia might be able to just make anxious sounds, pace, or even throw the oatmeal on the floor. If someone in your care exhibits dissatisfaction with some aspect of daily care, try to figure out what is bothering the person, and make any needed adjustments that you can.

Dementia patients may raise their voice, swing their arms, push, shove, or yank at things or people to convey their irritation. Caregivers must learn to decipher true anger from confusion or self-defense against other aggressive residents. Anger management therapy should be considered for those who express real anger inappropriately.

Some dementia residents may withdraw socially, stop talking to others, or gesticulate excitedly when they are upset. Sometimes these actions are in response to legitimate concerns, while at other times they may reflect unsuitable anger that needs to be redirected. If the person is able to understand and respond to caregivers in appropriate ways, he or she may be eligible for anger management therapy.

Anger Management Therapy for Dementia Patients

Any anger management therapy facilitator or coordinator who works with dementia residents will need to understand the way that those with dementia communicate, and the types of triggers that can draw their anger. This may require some training in long-term facility care, gerontology, and dementia behaviours. The therapist may attempt group or individual therapy, depending on the patient’s needs and abilities.

In anger management therapy, the coordinator may try to make the resident understand the consequences of anger outbursts, or attempt to teach the resident how to redirect anger in acceptable ways. At times, the therapist might want to work with the resident’s physician, social worker, and family to achieve the best results. This type of effort could take a long time and may be only partially successful yet, any progress is undoubtedly helpful.

Family members and caregivers who want to know more can visit websites like anger-management-information.com for more complete information on how to address this key social and interpersonal behavior. They also can get in touch with the doctor, nursing staff, and social worker for help in assisting a dementia patient through anger management therapy that may lead to improved outcomes for the resident and those that provide his or her care and support.



About the Author

Steve Hill discusses anger management for dementia patients at:

anger management support therapy

anger management treatment

Steve also has a website at:dementia symptom</a










Filed Under: Dementia Management Tagged With: , , , ,