A positive start to my New Year with a fantastic dementia map at Crieff

By Yvonne Manson, Dementia Consultant

What a great start to the year with Crieff achieving the highest dementia care mapping mood and engagement score seen from across the group. Dementia care mapping ™ is an observational framework and is one of the most widely used tools for supporting person-centred changes. It looks at quality of life and quality of care from the perspective of the person with dementia and can also be used to help guide educational interventions for staff.

Over the last eighteen months the mood and engagement scores across the group have been slowly climbing with the introduction of several initiatives including our dementia ambassador program, together we’re great and many new personalised tools and the impact is evident. So what was special about the map at Crieff?

  • Resident was involved in interviewing a possible new staff member
  • Doll therapy being used respectfully with improvement in physical and mental wellbeing for the resident.
  • Choice and collaboration at all times
  • Mixture of things for residents to take part in including, group activities and one to one activities, manicures, hairstyling, washing dishes, sing along movie, book reading, exercise games and lots of friendly chatter.
  • Coloured crockery for those who required its use
  • Promotion of independence
  • Staff sitting with residents when having lunch
  • Good understanding of stress and distress and how to support those who are distressed
  • Celebrations and laughter during the exercise game
  • Inclusion of all
  • Respecting peoples wishes

There were no personal detractors and 22 personal enhancers. Personal detractors are the way in which care practices and environments can undermine the personhood and wellbeing of a person with dementia. Personal enhancers are a record of positive person centred work observed in a care setting, and in particular the skills, talents, and creativity of care workers. Crieff recently increased its dementia ambassadors and I am sure the positive person centred work will continue to thrive.

Our next dementia ambassador meeting is on the 16th January and I am looking forward to hearing everyone’s ideas for the New Year and welcome several new ambassadors to the team. But for now I want to say again a huge well done to the team at Crieff working hard to improve outcomes for the people they support.