Nov 2023
Three key things you can expect from our dementia care
Dementia cases could surge by 42% by 2040, according to a recent study led by UCL.*
At OSJCT, we understand how dementia is different for each person living with the disease, as well as their families. It’s important to get the support you or your loved one needs, and our specially-trained teams in our care homes and schemes, including our dementia-specialist Admiral Nurses, are here to help you.
Here, our Lead Admiral Nurse, Angie Williams, explains the three key things that residents living with the disease, and their families, can expect from our expert dementia care.
We listen. And then we talk.
People living with dementia can experience problems with communication and memory loss that make it difficult to express who they are and what is important to them. We support residents, as well as families and friends, to create their Life Story, a record of important information that helps us to understand their life, their preferences and interests, and how to meet their needs and support them live well with dementia.
Life Stories are captured in different formats, such as a printed “All About Me” document or a collage, and easily accessible in residents’ rooms so that family, friends and carers can all read and add to the individual’s life story, as well as reminisce together.
Scott Turvey is Care Leader at Meadowcroft in Thame, one of our homes that has achieved the Trust’s two-stage procedure for internal Dementia and Wellbeing accreditation which is endorsed by Dementia UK. He explains: “Finding out about an individual and their life can help us provide personalised care. Some parts of an individual’s history can be amazing! For example, we found out that a resident living with dementia used to work at a bank, so we always make sure he has paperwork to help keep him busy and feeling fulfilled.”
We enhance daily living.
Dementia can make daily living a challenge but our highly skilled teams help enhance quality of life.
We make eating and drinking easy and enjoyable. We offer choices at point of service, pictorial menus support residents to make their choice of meal. Crockery and cutlery are designed to support independence for residents who may require additional support at mealtimes.
We offer experiences that are sociable, stimulating and fun, from enjoying nature in our beautiful gardens to special visits from animal sanctuaries, from professional entertainment to self-expression through music or art activities. Sally Connolly, Activities Co-ordinator at Spencer Court in Woodstock, another OSJCT home endorsed by Dementia UK for their achievement of the Dementia and Wellbeing accreditation, shared one such example: “Some of our male residents used to enjoy sailing, so together with some other residents, we visited the nearby sailing club. Their feedback about the experience to other residents on coming back from the trip was so positive, we had to arrange a return visit!”
We provide specialist technologies which boost physical and mental stimulation, such as Magic Tables and the Happiness Programme’s interactive light projections.
We can also advise on ways to manage dementia and improve quality of life without medication, such as through attachment therapy. Attachment therapy can offer comfort from cradling, cuddling or stroking a lifelike doll or Paro, a specialised robot seal (pictured above).
We employ an award-winning team of dementia-specialist Admiral Nurses.
Dementia care starts with our highly skilled, knowledgeable and creative teams which are equipped with the skills and knowledge to support you or your loved one.
Our care teams are also guided by our award-winning team of Admiral Nurses, qualified nurses with a professional specialism in dementia who are supported by the charity Dementia UK. OSJCT is just one of nine providers in the country to employ these highly skilled nurses. As well as working with our teams, Admiral Nurses lead on Life Story work and provide emotional support, practical advice, information and skills to help families and friends of residents living with the dementia to understand the disease and support their loved one. They also conduct assessment visits as part of the Trust’s two-stage procedure for internal Dementia and Wellbeing accreditation, to ensure high standards of care that are expected by the partnership between the Trust and Dementia UK.
Learn more about our Admiral Nurses in our short video.