Person centred involvement Involvement promotes the autonomy of the person, however dementia is a condition that changes over time and therefore there is a need for careful governance .The right balance needs to be sought between autonomy, balancing rights and risks but also protecting the person from harm. For this reason careful consideration has been given to a proactive approach that has the person’s best interests at its centre. As with all areas of dementia no one size fits all, people have different abilities and personal qualities therefore a range of opportunities for involvement should be offered. The wellbeing of the person should be the guide for involvement, if people appear to be struggling in anyway then the situation should be reviewed. There are many different ways of involving people and creativity is called for For some it is lobbying on the national stage, for others it is attending meetings, for others commenting on their care , attending peer support events etc. It is more challenging to involve people less able to contribute in this way but it should still be done, a prevailing view that it cannot be done means people do not attempt to try. The best placed people to do this are staff working with those people on a daily basis (Allan 2001, Murphy et al 2010) Involvement should empower and stimulate and should always be for the benefit of the individuals involved Try to involve a range of people and not always the same ones, this ensures that you will hear different views – the view of one person with dementia will not necessarily be reflective of the views of all people with dementia. Benefits It allows the person to be treated with respect and dignity It can increase confidence and self esteem It provides a role and a purpose for the person ( often threatened by a diagnosis of dementia) It contributes to removing stigma It enables people to meet others and gain peer support It enables organisations and services to ‘get it right’ as they understand more clearly the needs of people with dementia It provides personal perspective to living with dementia that no one else can provide
Person centred involvement Involvement promotes the autonomy of the person, however dementia is a condition that changes over time and therefore there is a need for careful governance .The right balance needs to be sought between autonomy, balancing rights and risks but also protecting the person from harm. For this reason careful consideration has been given to a proactive approach that has the person’s best interests at its centre. As with all areas of dementia no one size fits all, people have different abilities and personal qualities therefore a range of opportunities for involvement should be offered. The wellbeing of the person should be the guide for involvement, if people appear to be struggling in anyway then the situation should be reviewed. There are many different ways of involving people and creativity is called for For some it is lobbying on the national stage, for others it is attending meetings, for others commenting on their care , attending peer support events etc. It is more challenging to involve people less able to contribute in this way but it should still be done, a prevailing view that it cannot be done means people do not attempt to try. The best placed people to do this are staff working with those people on a daily basis (Allan 2001, Murphy et al 2010) Involvement should empower and stimulate and should always be for the benefit of the individuals involved Try to involve a range of people and not always the same ones, this ensures that you will hear different views – the view of one person with dementia will not necessarily be reflective of the views of all people with dementia. Benefits It allows the person to be treated with respect and dignity It can increase confidence and self esteem It provides a role and a purpose for the person ( often threatened by a diagnosis of dementia) It contributes to removing stigma It enables people to meet others and gain peer support It enables organisations and services to ‘get it right’ as they understand more clearly the needs of people with dementia It provides personal perspective to living with dementia that no one else can provide