Stepping Out Blog

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