TASK I-
Identify and critically analyse the kinds of support and access to community support services in Kindly Residential Care Rest Home clients with these types of geriatric problems may need. You are required to prepare a report for the next board meeting.
Elderly patients who have degenerative diseases, specifically dementia, have the right to be involved with the decisions about their care, like for instance the medical interventions, nursing interventions, the kind and amount food that are given to them, the ambulation, the routine care, and the hospice care. When you ask for a consent to do examinations and medical interventions, you have to bare in mind that that the patient is able to manifest their ability to account the advantages and disadvantages of the decision. Whether or not an individual has the capacity to assimilate information , make a decision and accountable for the consequences of the decision is a clinical evaluation; it is not a question of legal capacity.
Furthermore, persons with mild-to-moderate dementia are to make some decisions. They may be able to participate in decision making but impaired memory recall might preclude their ability to demonstrate that they understand the treatment options (Moye et al., 2004). Consequently, it is always better to discover the patient’s authentic wants, needs and preferences rather than to immediately resort to significant others or other teams to take over for decision making.
Patients whose cognitive status is unclear or fluctuates need protection from two types of mistakes: first, mistakenly preventing capacitive patients from directing the course of their healthcare; second, failing to protect incapacitated patients from the harmful effects of their decisions (Sherry A. Greenberg, PhD(c) MSN, GNP-BC New York University College of Nursing, 2012). There is no criterion for capacity determination. A Folstein Mini-Mental Status Examination score below 19 or above 23 is one proposed means to differentiate those with capacity from those who lack capacity for healthcare decision making (Karlawish et al., 2005). The patient’s ability to appreciate the consequences of a decision is a highly valued standard of decision making among healthcare professionals (Volicer & Ganzini, 2003).
However, there are also support organizations in New Zealand that caters health services to elderly with dementia. There are actually a lot of these organizations but I chose only 5 of them. The organizations are as follow:
- Alzheimer’s New Zealand Incorporated
One of the non-for-profit organizations is the Alzheimer’s New Zealand Incorporated. It has 21 Alzheimers member organisations throughout the New Zealand which provides support, datas, learning programmes and services applicable within their affiliate environment. They intend to give information and recommend high standards of teaching and instruction for people with dementia, their carers and families and health professionals. They also look forward to the needs of the people with dementia with regards to their careers through provision of national advocacy and they also raise government awareness over them. In addition, they provide support to all member organisations, and most of all they give importance to the Treaty of Waitangi by developing a working relationship with MÄori in the provision of dementia services.
- SuperGold Card
The SuperGold Card is like an ATM card as you can see it physically. It is not inserted through any machine but instead, this card gives discounts and concessions for veterans in New Zealand as a recognition of their contribution to the society. The SuperGold Card offers fa range of businesses like when you buy something in grocery stores, pharmacies or any other departments. This card also gives a reduced price for government privilege including publictransportationand discounted services from local agency.
- Deaf Aotearoa
The path to and promotion of New Zealand sign language is the main focus of this organisation. They promote awareness to elderly with hearing disability on how to use the accepted and universal sign language for them to communicate to other individuals. Deaf Aotearoa also helps impose the rights of deaf people. They also give the people the self-esteem to be an functional part of the general public. Deaf Aotearoa, like Alzheimer’s New Zealand Incorporated, is also a non-for-profit organisation. They are the only provider of services to Deaf people and gives information on a class of services, including legal counsel, learning opportunities and employment concerns in New Zealand.
Service coordination, employment consultancy, equipment services, community relations and transition programmes are Deaf Aotearoa’s primaryservices. They also cater access to information and services, encourages Deaf New Zealanders to follow favorable circumstance that will enhance their lives, be self-reliant and to follow their dreams, facilitates ongoing scholastic analysis and provides measure for local and national government. They also boost for a better pathway to opportunities and services.
4. Age Concern
Age Concern is dedicated to help or encourage individuals especially elderly to a better health and well being, their rights, admiration and nobility for aged people. Through a domestic office and a nationwide system of connection of 35 Age Concerns, they provide an act of helpful activity, facts and agency to older people in response to their needs. Their vision is to value older people and live in a comprehensive environment. This means that golden-aged people should be treated equally and that they live a quality of life where everyone is whole and benefit abundantly from the fullness of life. Though New Zealand hasn’t achieved this yet, but they are doing their very best by conducting meetings and gatherings in order to uplift the standards of their organisation, as well as resolving some issues in connection with them.
5. Nelson Grey Power Association
Nelson Grey Power is a hallway organization encouraging to promote the felicity and healthfulness of those people who reached 50 years old and above. Grey Power are publicized as “ the voice of the over 50’s” and have prosperously implemented to enhance the driver’s licensing process for the senior citizens even those who aged 50 years old and above. In addition, Grey Power has enormous impact and influence in the Country (New Zealand) due to the countless number of senior citizens’ population.
On the other hand, there are also service provisions that gives services and assists the elderly with dementia. Like for instance, the hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, independent living and early intervention.
Hospitals all around New Zealand does not only cater help and remedy to those who are in pain, injured and sick. They also specialise and assist on some disorders like those who experiences dementia and other degenerative diseases that occur during aging. They have what they called dementia unit inside the hospital where they are being took good care of by the healthcare providers. These healthcare providers include the medical doctors who specialise dementia, nurses, healthcare assistants, medical technology and caregivers; all who keep in touch in course of managing the patient’s condition. These multidisciplinary team work hard to lessen the symptoms felt by the patient as this, dementia, really progresses badly. They treat every patient wholly and equally in any walks of life.
Other establishments that provide services to the elderly are those in the Hospice. From the word hospice, it literally means a place that provides care for people who are dying. This is an adjunct or supplementary care given to those people whose living days can be counted by the fingers. Hospice gives patients and their significant support and care from an multidisciplinary team that includes experts in end-of-life care. Hospice interdisciplinary team are learned enough about common signs and symptoms that may happen in patients with severe Alzheimer’s disease.
Nursing home is the common house for elderly in New Zealand. Due to various and loads of work for the productive-aged individuals, they tend to send their loved ones (ages 60 and above) to such nursing homes. Elderly sent at nursing home don’t mean they are unable to do their daily routine. They are able but they need assistance of another person. That help can be done by their significant others or they can hire a caregiver at home, but, the setting inside the nursing home is very therapeutic to elderly most especially if they need other companions in their lives.
The Early Intervention Service medical team gives central nationwide buildup and appointment to Tairawhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Whanganui, Tairawhiti, Whanganui, Wairarapa and MidCentral, as well providing the medical services for District health board (Kapiti , Wellington and Porirura) and Hutt District Health Board. The Early Intervention Service is an ‘ Early Intervention in Psychosis’ assistance. This means that they helping young people who is experiencing psychosis. They also provide a assistance to people from aged 13 to 25 who are going through psychosis for the first time, or who have not received any treatment for such condition.
Independent Living Service in New Zealand promotes self-worth for elderly. With this service provsion, they are being taught how to do their daily routine with some assistance. It is important that they are still able to do the activities of daily living so that they will feel how the world will value them, and that the community sees how vital their roles are in the society.
TASK II- Identify the impacts on the relationships between these stakeholders provide alternative measures to support, minimise or remove the identified negative impacts.
“ Dementia; a Cancer?”
Not all what you knew is true and correct. You know what dementia is, but you don’t know the whole thing about it. Yes! you heard it right.
There many mythical or unclear beliefs about the disease that produced into a Stigma. The way you treat a person with Dementia is so poor. It seems like a person is dying because he/she is having a Cancer. But that shouldn’t be that way. There are some certain things you need to know about the disease. Due to these negative opinions that brought about by these normal people, it created a bad, big impact to those who are affected by such condition.
Such stigma impacts are as follows:
a. Social isolation of the individual and their family
People who are affected with dementia should not feel isolated. They should be kept in touch with their loved ones and the world, especially with the community. Let them feel their self-worth thru giving them reasons why should they have to live in this world. Show to them how world and the community needs them and that you have valued a lot their contributions to our progressive country.
b. Assumption of automatic lost of independence
Elderly with Dementia should be treated fairly. They are not incapacity to treat them like a child. You can assist them with their daily activities in life like changing clothes, taking a bath or performing their necessities. Do not do everything on your own because they are still able, especially those who are in mild dementia and moderate dementia category. You can even assist them during decision making and determine their options so that you will know where to intervene. The first thing you have to remember when making a decision is always their safety and security.
- Unable to make decisions about own care
When you say dementia, it has three categories. The mild, moderate and severe dementia. Elderly with mild and moderate dementia are able to make their own decisions but they should be guided. They are also trainable but you should always have an eye for them in order to be safe.
d. Dissatisfying interactions with the medical community
As normal individuals we should always have to remember that we are the functional system in the community as well as any other area we are. As a productive ones, we should always give favor to those who are not. Like the elderly with dementia, they are ill but they are still conscious about the environment. They are having hard times understanding about something but you should always bare in mind that you are there to assist them. As a healthcare provider, it is in your responsibility to be therapeutic to your patients. So you should remain to be in that way. No matter how bad the experience may be, you should always have to give them chance to interact with you.
e. Uncertainty of support services and treatments
Dementia is not a cancer and there are certain assistance, support and treatments to those who are affected by it. The notion of bring hopeless situation to those who are affected by it are just a hearsay. Never ever believe on it. You have to read more about dementia and you can merely conclude the truth about the disease on your own. One day you will realize that the the things you knew your good at might be wrong.
Reading is a good hobby, and a hobby will become an excellent habit. The best teacher is ourselves alone; learn it from your experience and relate it with your intelligence.
Recommendation
“ Prevention is better than cure”
I would like to recommend this work to everyone since having dementia can occur in an early stage of life. To prevent such disease, we should always bare in mind the things that we are doing right now, if these things can contribute to this degenerative diseases and how can we, as individuals, prevent these degenerative diseases.
I specifically recommend this to the secondary students, because this is the stage in life where the act of bullying is more common. This is to help them prevent such act and will also help them understand what dementia is really all about, and if they happen to see elderly in the community who wanders every time, they won’t be that surprised to see it in actual setting.
On the other hand, I also would like to recommend my work to the adults so that they will be knowledgeable enough about the disease. We are also going through the same pathway as our elderly have been before, and they may be experiencing such degenerative disease in the future.
I also would like this to be read by health professionals like the nurses, healthcare assistants down to caregivers who are working in an establishments where heaps of patients are affected by such condition.
Conclusion
Generally speaking, Dementia can happen to anyone. It doesn’t choose people. Even rich people can be affected by such disease as we aged. We have to be mindful of the things around us. We all have to work hand in hand for our treasures (elderly) in life.
The better way to make life harmonious to live is to accept and love more our grandmothers and grandfathers. We have to take good care of them and respect them as much as we respect ourselves, so that we will receive the same amount and may be more about the things we want to receive in the future, as we aged.
Bibliography
- WHO (1990). Dementia: a public health priority. Retrieved fromhttp://www. who. int/mental_health/publications/dementia_report_2012/en/
- Joan M. Erikson (1998). The Generational Link. The Life Cycle Completed Extended Version, pages 66-71
- Alzheimer’s New Zealand (2012). What is Dementia?. Retrieved fromhttp://www. alzheimers. org. nz/about-dementia/what-is-dementia
