When dementia is advanced, who knows what the self-concept is?
The Ross DMC is an exciting and innovative new local service for people with mild or moderate dementia which is designed to provide support to them and their carers/families, and offer an enjoyable and adaptive programme.
An invitation is also extended to people who are at the early or intermediate stage of dementia who are able to live their lives independently and who cope without a carer. In one sense, they are self-carers. In the context of this page, they are carees.
We now revisit the Home page.
The caree
and independent carees
The carer The DMC
carers and independent carees
Participation in the care provision and process is the key characteristic of the DMC. The Ross DMC focuses the "care inwards" on carees and carers who soon learn how to focus their "care outwards".
The caree is uppermost. When the carer or the volunteer is the topic of conversation, we don't need new graphics to demonstrate who is the central figure.
The carers and the volunteers work as a sub-team with the aim of reducing the caree burden of dementia.
Carees including independent carees throughout the page with mild dementia, in the main, will be able to comprehend the broad meaning of the following list. If some read this page, apology is tendered but the Ross DMC pages are addressed to carers and those in support roles.
We now revisit the Carer page and edit the list.
The carers, independent carees and the volunteers work specifically from time to time helping carees to deal with:
- Developing and maintaining a positive attitude
- The extent of their cognitive disorders and comorbidities
- The way in which they adapt within difficult circumstances
- Their ability to project themselves from negative stance to the positive
- develop and preserve an emotional balance
- maintain a positive self-image
- good social (family and friends) relationships
- relationships with healthcare professionals
The ways in which the topics become reality are summarised at this stage:
- participation within and contributing to meaningful therapeutic activities
- carer one-to-one sessions with a volunteer trained to identify specific problems and make referrals
- independent caree one-to-one sessions with a volunteer trained to identify specific problems and make referrals
- caree/carer two-to-one sessions with a volunteer trained to identify specific problems and make referrals
- discussion within caree group meetings
- combined caree and carer group meetings
Carees are part and parcel of the "care-outwards" to other carees and carers and are not solely receivers of "care-inwards".
You can imagine that "care-outwards" might be aimed at the specific carer as a subconscious thank you. As much as that may be valid, there is a positively-pervasive group care-outwards which reaches the parts that conventional daycare centres don't reach.
Reminiscence therapy is well-used within DMCs and carees enjoy including their photos and other memorabilia in the reminiscence sessions. Making the most of long-term memory contributes to overall wellbeing. Sharing memories is a major part of that. Carees bring out the best within each other, enjoy it and the incrementally increased benefits continue to pile up. more