Stepping Out diagnosis Archives

Dementia and its symptoms

Dementia’ is a term used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. It is an umbrella term used to describe the effects of closely linked diseases. These include Alzheimer’s disease and sometimes are the result of a stroke. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. How fast dementia progresses will depend on the individual. Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way. There are approximately 750,000 people in the UK with dementia.

Symptoms and how we can help

Below are just some of the symptoms that our service will manage and seek to reduce where possible:

Loss of memory − this particularly affects short-term memory, for example forgetting what happened earlier in the day, not being able to recall conversations, being repetitive or forgetting the way home from the shops. Long-term memory is usually still quite good.

Stepping Out offers the client regular guidance, support and prompts; the semi-independent project will provide a 24 hour on site staff member whom is able to offer timely aid. In General the regular use of planning documents such as weekly activity plans, shopping lists, goal setting plans, timetables, visual image based tool etc. will aid the client remember important tasks. The plans can be posted around the client’s private living area in order to aid the client’s memory.

Communication -The person with dementia will experience increasing problems understanding what is being said to them and what is going on around them. They are likely to find it difficult to communicate with other people. They may gradually lose their speech.

Stepping Out ensure its staff members receive regular training on effective communication, where they are able to understand a client’s feelings via certain behaviour and or body language, eye contact and tone of voice. Our staff are trained to actively listen to clients whilst positioning themselves accordingly as to not cause any distress, tension or anxiety to the client. Visual tools and other interactive communication aids are to be used in order to ensure effective communication. Staff members must employ patience and always ensure they communicate with respect towards the client.

Challenging Behaviour – The person with dementia may display puzzling and or at times challenging behaviour this may be in the form of physical aggression or verbal abuse.

Our staff members receive regular training on managing challenging behaviour. Importantly a client with dementia may display challenging behaviour due to feeling distressed, anxious and or frustrated. At such times, staff members must provide proactive, dedicated 1-1 support and use communication methods best suited to the client in order to alleviate the client’s anxieties. Various rules and boundaries have been put in to place that clients must adhere to. Our Company operates a no physical contact/physical intervention policy. This means we will not physically restrain and or challenge a client. If the clients behaviour becomes aggressive and or unmanageable and once we have exhausted all means of calming and effectively communicating with the client, our staff members are instructed to contact the local police whom will work to stabilise the clients behaviour. The client will be made aware of this and will be introduced to our project rules and the boundaries that must be adhered to on initial placement with of course regular reminders.

Stepping Out is a registered and regulated (CQC) independent social care provider delivering person centred care services to children, young people and adults meeting the range of low through to critical high support, high supervision needs.Stepping Out has built a great reputation for providing specialised up-to 24 hour semi-independent living options for adults and young people.

We provide Services to:

The type of clients we accommodate and support have varying needs to include:

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Mental Health Issues

Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder

Challenging Behaviour

Moderate Learning Disabilities

Physical Disabilities

Schizophrenia

Sexually Harmful Behaviour

Sexualised Behaviour

Drug & alcohol abuse

Self-harm

Suicidal tendencies

Auditory Hallucinations

Command Hallucinations

Delusional Ideation

Early onset Demen

Dual Diagnosis

Dementia

Fabricated & Induced Illness

In order to make a referral and or to obtain further information about our company please contact us using the information provided below:

Stepping Out, 439 Green Lanes, London, N4 1HA

020 8342 7217

Info@stepping-out.org

Overview:

Dual diagnosis is a term used to describe people with mental health issues, who also have substance abuse problems. The mental health may be a cause or a result of the drug usage. An example would be somebody with a psychotic illness who also uses cannabis or cocaine.

The symptoms:

Dual Diagnosis is simply the term used to describe a wide array of, usually very different, issues. Depending on which illness and which drug is being taken, the symptoms can vary. Different drugs will produce different symptoms just as different mental illnesses would.

What causes Dual Diagnosis?

As mentioned, the mental health issue may be the reason for the drug usage, or, the drug usage may result in the mental health issue. This is likely in cases of cocaine and amphetamine (speed) use, as their effects often cause psychotic illnesses, especially if used for a long period of time.

Cannabis, LSD, stimulants and ecstasy (MDMA) can all intensify a person’s mood when they take it. If they are already feeling low, paranoid or anxious, the drugs may make this worse, although this will depend on their environment and the quantity involved. But it’s also true that these drugs can lift someone’s mood. On balance, however, someone who has a mental health problem, will more likely be in a state where intensification would be unhelpful for them and those around them.

Is there a cure?

There is no standardised cure or treatment for dual diagnosis, simply because it ranges across such a large number of problems and involves both substance misuse services and mental health services. The term can refer to many different types of individual cases without similarities.

People with this combination of problems often have a lot of additional difficulties, which aren’t solely medical, psychological or psychiatric. They are more likely to come into contact with mental health services. Medically orientated services can’t always help with multiple non-medical problems like these, which often reflect the social stigma that people with dual diagnosis face. They are not only drug users, but also mentally ill; two of the most stigmatised groups in society.

In a move away from medical definitions, the term ‘complex needs’ is often used when people have these complicated social and lifestyle problems. To tackle these complex needs, successfully, often requires a more holistic, joined up approach, from several different directions at once.

How Stepping Out can help:

Stepping Out are specialists when dealing with complex needs and challenging behaviour causes by dual diagnosis. Our staff are both experienced and qualified to handle such cases. Stepping Out can visit to provide support and general home care, as well as, in more extreme cases, provide their own 24-hour staffed housing accommodation, helping the sufferer maintain a more safe and healthy lifestyle.
Access to therapy and support groups is given and attendance encouraged. The ultimate goal would be to allow the sufferer to grow as an individual and become an independent person in society, living safely, hygienically and healthily. The housing units are primarily based in north London and Hertfordshire.

Stepping Out Blog

What is Dual Diagnosis?

Early Onset Dementia

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What is Dual Diagnosis?

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