Hoskin, PSN, GM Health & Disability.
(Photo/Supplied)
Presbyterian
Support Northern (PSN) GM Health & Disability, Wendy
Hoskin, heads Enliven which provides at-home and community
services for older people and people with
disabilities.
Dementia is a growing issue
that will likely overwhelm whānau and the current
healthcare system. Affecting one in three people over the
age of 85, there are 70,000 people currently living with
dementia and a similar number of carers. By 2050 that number
is expected to triple and one in two people aged over 90
will have dementia. While there are preventative measures
that can influence the progression of the disease, there is
no cure.
As a provider of home-based dementia care
services and day service facilities for people with
dementia, we are acutely aware of challenges…and
solutions.
In our experience, providing early support
and advice to the person living with dementia, their primary
carer and whānau can not only reduce the distress around
the diagnosis, but preserve the person living with
dementia’s quality of life for longer in their own
home.
The stigma of being diagnosed with dementia is
real. People understand that it is a diagnosis from which
there is no recovery. Those experiencing symptoms are
reluctant to seek diagnosis, and when they are diagnosed,
are reluctant to share it with family and friends due to
their reaction.
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It’s important to hold on to the
knowledge that the person living with dementia is still the
same person, they might not be able to remember some things
– but they are not just their diagnosis.
There is a
significant delay between the time of diagnosis and an
acceptance that services are required. However, we find that
changing the kind of support available for the person with
dementia and their primary caregiver at an early stage
empowers them. They have more information about dementia,
know what is likely to happen and are able to put strategies
in place to support themselves at different stages of the
experience. Expert assistance also supports the person and
their carer to come to terms with the overwhelming fear and
sense of isolation that can accompany a dementia
diagnosis.
When the first symptoms begin to dismantle
a person’s quality of life and peace of mind, they
experience a huge loss of self in the face of a progressive
reduction in their ability to function. Guiding them and
their carers on how to manage everyday activities enhances
their functioning and safety, while social outings promote
the social connections that are so important as we age. The
physical and psychological health of people with dementia
and carers improves, while maintaining the independence of
the person with dementia.
The right support at the
right time can make an enormous difference. Ultimately
getting support improves the quality of life of the person
living with dementia and that of their primary caregivers.
This allows the person with dementia to stay in their own
home for longer. Most people want to stay at home for as
long as they can. Not only does this make the person with
dementia happier, it is also more cost-effective than moving
people into care as well as a lower burden for the
Government in terms of funding.
Many carers continue
to shoulder all of the responsibility and do not seek
support early enough until a crisis occurs. A crisis, like a
fall, can lead to hospitalisation which in turn can result
in individuals being admitted into residential care.
Providing more support to people living with dementia and
their caregivers in the community would delay and reduce the
demand that exists for residential care.
Home
and community support organisations can play a big part in
extending people’s quality of life and managing the
growing demand for dementia care in a cost-effective
way.
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