Staff training to help identify the first signs of dementia is very important for caregivers in nursing homes because it maximizes treatment’s efficacy while providing appropriate and timely support before a crisis occurs. Cognitive dementia is a condition that causes a person to lose intellectual functions which include thinking, reasoning and remembering. It is very severe and it can interfere with the daily activities of the sufferer. Dementia is a condition that steals lives. In England, there are around 670,000 people with dementia. 62% of dementia patients are lonely and this adds to their isolation. Treating dementia costs around £19 billion each year. It is estimated that around 21 million people in England have family members or close friends with dementia. Everyone in England will soon be affected by dementia indirectly or directly. Why nursing care homes staff needs training to identify the first dementia signs Early signs of dementia are usually subtle and noticing them is not easy. The sufferer recognizes that there is something wrong but he or she tries to cover it up or deny because of embarrassment. A sufferer will start by resisting help or he/she becomes defensive. Other early signs which are hard to identify include minor forgetfulness, crying, mood swings, insomnia, learning inability, appetite changes, energy loss and losing interest in normal human activities, difficulties in doing simple things, decline in self-confidence as well as becoming more insecure and indecisive. When caregivers in nursing care homes undergo training to help them identify these signs, they can perform their duties more effectively. The major goals of caregivers in nursing homes where there are dementia patients is to offer protection to the sufferers against physical injury, maintain their independence, focus on what the patients can do, provide mental and physical activities that the patient can do and ensure their self-esteem as well as dignity all the time. What staff training to help identify the first signs of dementia entails During training, caregivers are taught to accord people with dementia respect and treat them with dignity. People with this mental condition tend to depict childlike behaviors. However, they are adults and their needs are the same. Caregivers are also trained on how to communicate with the patients and allow them time to act after thinking. It is also important to ensure a quiet and peaceful environment that is uncluttered but simple. Caregivers are taught to ensure such an environment while maintaining a consistent routine. Additionally, caregivers are trained to be creative, flexible and taking various approaches in their care giving. They also learn how to maintain a safe environment, avoid arguments with the patients but listen and watch them to assess their individual needs. Basically, caregivers should realize that the actions of people with dementia though inappropriate are not intentional or deliberate. They are due to their condition. Therefore, they should not apply logic or argue with dementia patients because they will always exhibit inappropriate behaviors. Instead, they are taught how to influence the behaviors of the patients by modifying their environment and how they approach them. Thus, staff training to help identify the first signs of dementia is very important in ensuring that dementia is diagnosed early and that patients are properly included in the society of nursing care homes.
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