I went along to Enbridge House (a care home for the elderly) yesterday, as I had expressed an interest in doing work experience there. I learnt what the carers do at the home, and how it is run. It was interesting to hear that they work in conjunction with the local GP surgery, showing how the surgery really integrates into the community, and also how Enbridge House is getting the best for its residents.
I was given a pack with the resources for the NCFE Certificate in Dementia Awareness, which I will be reading through in order to gain a better understanding of how the residents' minds work. The course goes through recognition of dementia, knowledge of the different forms dementia takes, understanding the importance of memory in our behaviour and what we do, learning about 'person-centred care', recognition of 'well being' and 'ill being', compilation of a person's life history, supporting people and maintaining their relationships, communation with people who suffer from dementia and how behaviour can be viewed as a form of communication and caring for these people in a kind and effective way. This will hopefully give me many skills associated with the medical profession of today, for example being able to compile someone's life history could help me to take a history from an unwilling patient in order to create a diagnosis, or recognition of dementia and the symptoms could help me to understand when to change my behaviour and form of communication accordingly.
Hopefully, I will be able to spend a few days observing and learning at Enbridge House over the Easter holidays.
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