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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| Eight million people, or one in 15 of Japan’s population, have dementia compared to the UK's 850,000 |
You can discover hints on how to regain your confidence, which is what I do on a daily basis
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus