Dilemmas and Decision Making in Dementia Care

This book is invaluable to nurses and all health and social care practitioners working with people living with dementia in a variety of contexts. It presents a series of true-to-life case studies tackling the ethical and practical dilemmas of dementia care and how to use theoretical approaches to come to potential solutions.

The reader is encouraged to explore evidence-based approaches to practice, based on the professional reasoning and experience of the practitioner and the emotional psychological and practical needs of the person living with dementia. Key themes running through case studies include:

• effective communication,
• person-centred practice,
• social citizenship,
• strengths-based approaches and
• relationship-focused support, as well as
• organisational culture.

Each case study provides readers with opportunities to experience and discuss clinical dilemmas in a safe space with an annotated thinking-aloud framework that allows them to unpack the elements of each situation so as to develop a range of solution-focused perspectives in order to overcome barriers and deliver best practice.

Introduction

Background

1. Olive – “The missing peace”

2. Harpreet – “A moveable feast”

3. Abdullah – “Hear no evil?”

4. Michael – “Of Mike and men”

5. Abeni – “Killing me softly”

6. Nadia – “Fare’s fair”

7. Tom - “Me and my girl”

8. Margaret - “Pilgrim’s progress”

9. Rose – “By any other name”

10. Zachariah – “Blind man’s bluff”

11. Meera - “There is no dementia”

12. Brenda – “Forgotten not forgiven”

13. Tim – “Fizzicality”

14. Ilene – “In sickness and in health”

15. Tony – “See no evil”

Conclusion

Sarah Housden is an Associate Professor at the University of East Anglia, with an occupational therapist background. She has worked with people living with dementia for the past 30 years in a range of contexts including hospital, community and care home settings. Sarah has provided opportunities to meet and work alongside some amazing people living with dementia, each of whom has fascinating stories to tell about their life experiences and achievements.

Her current role involves designing and delivering interactive approaches to teaching and learning which encourages reflective practice and enhances the way in which both pre- and post-registration health practitioners work with people living with dementia.

Julia Hubbard is a Professor of Clinical Health Education at the University of East Anglia. She is an experienced academic, having worked in university-level healthcare education since 1993. During that time she has been involved in curriculum development and course delivery across a range of health care professions at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, both nationally and internationally. Her current role as innovation lead for the School of Health Sciences involves seeking new education opportunities to meet the changing health care needs of the UK population.