it’s time to humanize dementia care

Laura Walker is co-founder and director of Memory Matters South West CIC & Moments Cafe an Community Interest Company. She’s a mental health nurse, and life coach with a passion for person-centred everything, all of which is evident in her comment below.

After reading “alzheimer’s disease didn’t do this. drugs and dementia jail did” Walker wrote:

“I see some wonderful examples of care homes led by love, compassion and human connection but unfortunately this is still not the norm. Any culture that allows people to be dehumanized must be challenged. Dehumanizing cultures begin with the separation of staff and residents such as separate toilets for staff, uniforms that separate, conversations that are not inclusive to all present, disregarding distressed cries. All of this is commonplace and normalized in many facilities.

I also know from my work that when you give care workers permission to challenge, debate and stand up to dehumanization, amazing things happen. In my experience, care staff in most care environments do the job because they care. But they often lack the self esteem, knowledge and support to stand up against poor care culture.

So I keep empowering, educating and showing how great it feels for everyone when people living with dementia are fulfilled, understood and thriving. Everybody wins!”

I couldn’t agree more.

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