Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive form of dementia, is one example. The term dementia refers to conditions that affect the brain, behavior, or memory. These changes can interfere with your daily life.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 60-80 percent of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. The majority of people diagnosed with the disease are older than 65. It’s known as early-onset Alzheimer’s disease if it is diagnosed before that.

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there are ways to slow down the progression.

Alzheimer’s facts

Many people are familiar with Alzheimer’s disease. However, not all people know what it is. These are some facts about Alzheimer’s disease:

• Alzheimer’s disease can be a long-term condition.
• The symptoms appear gradually, and the brain effects are degenerative. This means that they cause slow decline.
• Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, treatment can slow down the progression and improve the quality of your life.
• Alzheimer’s can happen to anyone, but some people are more susceptible than others. This includes those over 65 years old and those who have a family history.
• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are not the same thing. Alzheimer’s disease can be a form of dementia.
• People with Alzheimer’s don’t have a single outcome. Some people experience mild cognitive impairment for a longer time, while others have a faster onset and more severe symptoms.

Alzheimer’s Care

You may be interested in becoming a caregiver if you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. It’s a full-time job, but it can be rewarding.

Many skills are required to be a caregiver. These skills include patience, creativity, stamina and the ability to see the joy in helping someone you love live a comfortable life.

It is important that caregivers take care of themselves as well as their loved ones. The responsibilities that come with the job can increase stress levels, poor nutrition, and a lack of exercise.

You may need professional caregivers if you are looking to take on the caregiver role.

The post Everything You Need to Know About Alzheimer’s Disease first appeared on Verrolyne Training.

We hold dear the words of Dame Cicely Saunders: “How people die will remain in the memories of those who live on.” We want the memories of a “good death” to reflect that we are grieving.

Our role as palliative care educators is to mentor, nurture, and instruct staff so that they are confident, competent, caring, compassionate, and can provide excellent care at the end of their lives.

Verrolyne Training Education Program

Verrolyne Services was already offering an endorsed education program that trained nurses and carers in key areas of palliative and future care planning, compassionate communication, and dealing with distress. We also provide skilled symptom control, family-focused care, and support for the bereaved. As a resource, we were already able to offer both practical and emotional support for care organizations in our area.

We are passionate about education and know it has an impact on quality-of-care at the end of life. So when the Coronavirus infected our communities and lockdown was initiated, it hurt us.

As a palliative team, we have never been more aware of Dying Matters and how helping patients and their families be in a “good place” – physically, emotionally, spiritually, and geographically – is crucial to providing good end-of-life care. To reduce footfall, to protect vulnerable residents/residents, families, and each other. 

We found ourselves locked down and even locked out of our Verrolyne care, as well as medical practices, hospitals, and Verrolyne cares. With a laptop and a phone, we went back to work to change training to webinar-based learning. This would allow for the discussion and interaction that is so important to learning.

Training focuses on encouraging people to have open conversations about end-of-life care, and especially advance care planning. This is more important than ever, especially since the staff has had to have difficult and sensitive conversations with their loved ones and families over the past year.

Nursing Care:

Care calls were established to support residents and patients in care homes. We also trained people who were re-entering the nursing profession or had to change their roles. To keep up to date with all the happenings in our area and nationwide, we attended weekly online education networks meetings. We acquired new IT skills and updated the training modules to reflect changes in our community.

We provided education about the safe use of syringe drivers and death verification so people could live and die where they choose.

A man with a severe learning disability and a terminal cancer diagnosis shows the benefits of teamwork. The gentleman had lived in the assisted living home for more than 20 years together with two other gentlemen. He also had a group care staff that had been caring for him for many years.

He was suffering from seizures and was rapidly deteriorating. The staff was scared and confused about how to care for him. The Verrolyne care specialist nurse helped manage his symptoms with the help of the district nurses. We visited the hospital regularly to provide support, advice, and answers to any questions or concerns.

They were able to speak with his family confidently and held the best interest meeting. This was to discuss where his final weeks of care should be. He preferred his home, with his friends, family, and the staff he knew. Our Verrolyne care at the home team was also there to provide comfort and care for him in his final days. This gentleman could have gone to a nursing home or been admitted to a hospital.

Conclusion:

Because Verrolyne care in-patients were allowed only one visitor, the pandemic resulted in a decrease in Verrolyne care patients. Many people decided to remain at home with their family and choose to be there for them. Our Verrolyne care at home team was increased by two and a nurse educator joined the team in the first months.

Although it has been a difficult year, we have learned a lot and will continue to do online training. All of us have learned to be more conscious of the emotional impact of the pandemic and to support each other. Staff have changed and adapted the rules to allow people to be in their ‘best place for death’. This can only be done if we have open conversations with the family.

The post Dying Matters: end of life care and education during lockdown first appeared on Verrolyne Training.