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P3‐412: Not telling‐‐ policy or protective prevarication?: incorporating advances in Alzheimer's disease research
Author(s) -
Pierce Robin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2011.05.1855
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , autonomy , psychology , distress , value (mathematics) , perspective (graphical) , dementia , disease , social psychology , political science , medicine , psychotherapist , law , computer science , paleontology , pathology , machine learning , artificial intelligence , biology
UK-based target user groups through focus groups and individual interviews and workshops; and in the production of an agreed core communications ‘toolkit’, styled ‘DEMTEC’ (Dementia Toolkit for Effective Communication). Variations on the core DEMTEC were also produced, tailored to the needs of different user groups (informal carers, institutional care-givers whose first language is not English, and medical professionals). Results:DEMTEC has three related ‘levels’. Level One is foundational a statement of beliefs and principles underlying a person-centred and empowering approach to effective communication with PLWD. Level Two has 8 specific components of effective communication: mindfulness and empathy, non-verbal communication, conversation, reducing anxiety, helping people keep a sense of self, checking understanding, understanding difficult behaviors, and environmental considerations. Each component has a definition, a rationale for inclusion, and a list of up to twenty specific strategies and considerations for optimising communication. Level Three consists of practical and individualised advice on communication with people at various stages of dementia in the form of illustrative case studies showing how DEMTEC can be applied in care giving. Conclusions: We will relate the project’s findings to the needs of its multiple potential beneficiaries, outline an evaluation regime for the toolkit, and describe how we will make it freely available to users through web-based dissemination.