A REVOLUTIONARY “road map” to dementia that helps sufferers communicate with their loved ones as the illness progresses has been hailed a breakthrough in the care of the elderly.
 
How to live with dementia: New book helps transform sufferers' lives
A new book has been written to help dementia sufferers and their families deal with the disease
 
The guide, Words For A Journey: The Art Of Being With Dementia, which is already being used by doctors in Japan, outlines how dementia patients relate to the world and how best to relate to them. 
Experts say it will give those with a new diagnosis hope that they can continue independently for as long as possible and encourage them to see the disease as a journey rather than the end of their lives.
The guide works by distilling some 300 experiences described by sufferers into 40 common problems that people with dementia face. 
By singling out common experiences and presenting what has been found to be the best solution, the guide can help sufferers cope with their illness and give relatives a better understanding of the disease’s impact on their behaviour, particularly communication. 
The method behind the guide, known as a “pattern language”, is more commonly used in designing cities. 
It allows architects to draw upon the experiences of others in the most simplified way when creating complex systems of movement and logistics. 
 
How to live with dementia: New book helps transform sufferers' lives
The guide works by distilling some 300 experiences described by sufferers into 40 common problems
 
The guide has been written by dementia specialists working in tandem with computer experts and was developed by Fujitsu Laboratories and Keio University in Japan. 
One of the suggestions contained within the guide, designed to manage memory loss, is to create a “self-reflecting room” full of pictures and mementos to remind the sufferer of the people and places they love. 
It also advises compiling a “self-intro album” containing information about the sufferer’s past and their personality. 
This helps in situations with new people, that can otherwise induce anxiety for those with dementia as they struggle to introduce themselves. 
The guide also recommends designating a favourite place early on in the diagnosis; a sanctuary that feels familiar, which the sufferer can return to as the disease progresses and where the family knows they are likely to be. 
 
How to live with dementia: New book helps transform sufferers' lives
Ensuring the person has a dedicated household chore can help sufferers stay useful and feel included
 
Something as simple as ensuring the person has an allocated household chore they can do every day will help them feel useful, included and independent for as long as possible, as well as improving relationships with loved ones and reminding them that the sufferer is still the person family and friends knew before diagnosis.
Dr Takashi Iba, one of the authors of the guide and an associate professor at Keio University, says: “This is a big step forward. It’s an area in which no one has been able to help so far in terms of allowing people with dementia to design their lives after being diagnosed.” 
Dr Iba worked on the project with Makoto Okada, senior manager of management technology at Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. 
Computer company Fujitsu began using its expertise and investing in social enterprises four years ago, eventually focusing on the emerging problem of dementia. 
Some eight million people, or one in 15 of Japan’s population, have the illness compared to 850,000 in Britain. 
Japan’s ageing population means it is facing a crisis which is being tackled with innovative research, policies and approaches such as the Words For A Journey project, which started in March 2014. 
The guide is now printed in English as well as Japanese. 
 

How to live with dementia: New book helps transform sufferers' lives
There will be 1 million people with dementia in the UK by 2025, according to the Alzheimer's Society

 
Experts in the UK have praised the project’s innovative research. 
Civil engineer Dr Nick Tyler, a professor at University College London who also designs dementia-friendly products and environments, said the guide “views dementia from an entirely new angle”. 
“We look at drugs, medicine, therapies and that should obviously continue, but what strikes me about this approach from Japan is that it is not coming out of the desire to find a cure but trying to understand the people. 
“By using a ‘pattern language’, which is a piece of computer science used to look at systems and see if they can be improved, the researchers have tried to understand how people with dementia relate to the world so we can help them.” 
Dr Sebastian Crutch, a professor at the Dementia Research Centre at University College London, agrees: “It is really helpful and beneficial to keep finding new ways of supporting people with dementia, ensuring they have more constructive conversations and interactions with family and friends. 
“The guide outlines the links through friends and connections and meaningful objects that are important in being able to communicate. Although some of the links may seem obvious, people getting to grips with the illness may not have thought of them. 
“It is also useful that the guide encourages more than just verbal communication. In dementia many skills other than memory are affected so providing information in more than one way, for example, through pictures, is supportive. This creates a ‘scaffold’ of conversation, which means there is a better chance of both parties being understood by each other. 
  
How to live with dementia: New book helps transform sufferers' lives
Eight million people, or one in 15 of Japan’s population, have dementia compared to the UK's 850,000
 
“I like the fact the guide is based on conversations with people who have dementia and those around them, trying to share their wisdom,” adds Dr Crutch. 
You can discover hints on how to regain your confidence, which is what I do on a daily basis
Masahiko Sato, Alzheimers patient
 
One sufferer in Japan, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 10 years ago, described how the book has improved his quality of life. 
Co-president of the Japan Dementia Working Group Mr Masahiko Sato, 61, said: “Once you receive a diagnosis of dementia you tend to focus on things you cannot do and so lose confidence. But one finds in Words For A Journey the can-do list.
“Then you can discover hints on how to regain your confidence, which is what I do on a daily basis.” 
UCL’s Dr Tyler points out: “In Japan they treat dementia as a journey and ask how you enable someone to go on that journey. The guide is allowing people to understand step-by-step how to cope with their illness, how to think and communicate. It helps their family and friends go on that journey with them.” 
Words For A Journey: The Art Of Being With Dementia, by Takashi Iba, is available from Amazon, priced £12.

Post a Comment Blogger Disqus

 
Top