Book: Communication in Care

The essence of this course is the promotion of person centred care for the person with dementia using a palliative care approach. A palliative care approach involves both the person and their families throughout the journey of the disease.

Also, as the dementia progresses, it is more than likely that Carers will need more input from the Health Care team. The Health Care team can include: Public Health Nurse (PHN), GP, Dementia Advisor, Day Care Team, Home Helps, Occupational Health Professional, Physiotherapists, Social Workers, Dieticians, Speech and Language Therapists and Nursing Home Directors & their Staff. 

This requires ongoing communication. Open, honest communication with the Health Care team can improve the carers understanding of the dementia journey and provide information on the burdens and benefits of medical treatments.

It is important to say that the Carer and the Health Care team can be seen to have differing but complementary forms of expertise. The Carer having the understanding of the person with dementia and what it is to live with the disease and the Health care team having professional, clinical skills underlined by knowledge of the disease trajectory. Working in partnership help builds relationships of trust, and facilitates a sense of care support. 

In situations where values are not shared, difficult conflicts can arise between Health Care team and families or between family members, resulting in negative emotions for families such as guilt, fear and anger. These may impact on the Care given and on the grieving process for the Carer. It is important to try to resolve any conflicting issues with open communication, meetings with all members may be helpful.