Tag: dementia care

The Drama Queen With A Caring Heart (Dementia Story)

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Here it is everyone,

Grab a coffee and a couple of Tim Tams as you prepare to listen to Linda Booth open her world to us. Linda simply ‘keeps things real…’.

Upon hearing the interview back I realized how many valuable tips and scenarios Linda actually mentioned.

Linda’s story has a ‘little bit of everything’ and in true Dutch style she refuses to ‘sugar-coat’ issues. I feel privileged to hear her talk about her thoughts and feelings at times of great stress. This interview has some nerves at the start and gets better and better with a very confronting final story.

So sit back and relax and get ready for

‘The Drama Queen with a Caring Heart’….Linda Booth

*Thanks to Zak Partington for voiceover, editing and technical assistance

Emotional Intelligence – The ‘X-Factor’ of Modern Dementia Care

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What is emotional intelligence?

DEFINITION:

the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

In Basic Terms – emotional intelligence is ‘being smarter with feelings’.

I believe this is the special ability of champions of dementia care to be able to determine other people’s feelings (and their own), and use that information to guide that person’s thinking and behaviour, and to manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt environments to reach a positive outcome for the person.

“People with dementia can no longer rely on facts, logic, reason or memory. It is your feelings and emotional truth that you trust. Emotional intelligence is seen as the primary competency in providing emotional care. Feeling you matter is at the core of being a person. Knowing you matter is at the heart of being alive.” (D.Sheard 2015)

I learnt about this concept from Dr David Sheard from Dementia Care Matters in the UK. A year or so ago he wrote the following inspirational passage for me, and at the time I was not 100% sure what he really meant. I now understand what he was trying to tell me and realize the value in his words of wisdom which have now become my mantra:

“Advancing great quality dementia care requires major culture change. A culture change movement needs people who totally grasp the scale of the challenge ahead. Individuals committed to this need to come from a place of heartfelt passion, emotional intelligence and with a dogged determination. Promoting a new culture of dementia care is not for the faint hearted and requires the rare ability to reach a wide healthcare audience inspiring them to believe it could be different.”

Team Effort in Dementia Care – South Australian Community Awards 2016

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Had a great time with my sister (Jane) and Mum (Jan) at the South Australian Community Awards last night.

Was fortunate enough to be a semi finalist in the Carers SA – Carer Achievement Award amongst a record field of 350+ nominees. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists in each category.

It was mind blowing to hear about all the fabulous initiatives, voluntary groups, services and champions that are helping others in need.

Really pleased to get a free plug from host Jessica Adamson (who did a great job as MC) for the two dementia related organisations I am involved with – ‘Dementia Downunder ‘ & ‘Dignity in Care Australia’.

It has been an honour to be helping families, carers, nurses and people with dementia all over Australia.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank ‘Team Partington’ – Caring for Dad has taken a massive group effort and I want to acknowledge Mum who has been inspirational and whose loyalty and commitment to Dad is first class, Jane Partington Rodger for her fantastic efforts with caring for Dad, and Jason Partington for his unwavering support as he deals with this from a distance. Providing care also impacts heavily on our wives, husbands and kids as so much time is required to do what we do, so a massive thankyou for your patience and help.

A big thank you to my mentor Dr Faizal Ibrahim who has taught me how to give dignity & respect to the elderly and has steered my path as a dementia advocate.

Dementia has no cure and a person is diagnosed every 6 minutes in Australia. There are almost 360,000 people with dementia in Australia.

When someone is diagnosed with dementia it can impact on the entire family for up to 10 years or more.

If you know of any families or carers impacted by Alzheimers/dementia please get them to visit www.dementiadownunder.com.au

Thanks

 

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Hon Zoe Bettison MP, Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion

‘Big & Brave’ Changes Required in Dementia Care

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I was watching tv with the residents in the nursing home and I realised that much of the current day news and tv shows are violent, have themes of murder, are explicit or inappropriate. When the Lindt Cafe siege was being beamed onto our tv screens it was ‘around the clock’ coverage with a live feed. I can only imagine that if these tv channels are left on all day, these events can become a reality for people with dementia, or disturbing to say the least.

It would be very interesting to read the handover reports from that day(and the day after) or even 9/11 to see if there was an impact on resident behaviour and demeanour.

We need to come up up with some BIG ideas and creative thinking for people with dementia. What about a TV channel dedicated to the people with dementia and the elderly? It could have news services with violent reports removed, age appropriate movies and dramas, they could even have customised shows that replay old tv adverts eg Colgate, Vegemite etc…..

This tv channel could be beamed into every nursing home via Foxtel and have a positive impact on thousands of people and potentially could positively influence nursing homes on mass by simply turning on the television. The carers would not need to worry about changing channels and loading dvd’s there roles may also be helped as the passive entertainment can be constantly providing it’s own sort of therapy in the background.

We would need to give Andre Rieu a regular time slot though:)

I’ve Bitten The Bullet…

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Today I made the life changing decision to go to Uni (while still working). This is one thing I never thought I would be saying, as ‘Partingtons’ & ‘Universities’ are normally natural enemies.

I will be studying ‘Dementia Care’ (online via University of Tasmania) and hoping in the future to be one of Australia’s leading dementia care trainers and advocates.

Considering I can’t stay awake long enough to read a newspaper, I have a lotta work to do. 🙂

I hope the course is a lot easier than the enrolment process.

Got off to a flyer yesterday by spending an inspiring hour at the home of Australia’s leading international dementia advocate and 2016 Australian of the Year state finalist, Kate Swaffer (who also has dementia).