Tuesday, January 17 was, and February 28 will follow the Alzheimer café.
Guest speaker was Karin van Bijnen, case manager dementia Oisterwijk/Moergestel/Haaren. She talked about dealing with dementia, how do you do that as a loved one or carer? When someone has been diagnosed with dementia, a lot changes in life for the person with dementia and their loved ones. This evening Karin van Bijnen, who works as a dementia case manager in Oisterwijk/Moergestel en Haaren, talked about the disease dementia and discussed tips that can be applied in dealing with people with dementia. What does a person with dementia need and how can those close to them deal with the behavioral changes. What should you take into account? After the diagnosis has been made by the general practitioner/neurologist, it is important that supervision is started by a case manager or practice nurse. They can support you and arrange the necessary care.
Based on a description of the 4 levels in our brain, Karin has indicated what happens if there is a disturbance in this. There is then a short circuit between the upper brain (rational thinking) and lower brain (emotional thinking). This can bring about changes in behavior and character. For example, the person with dementia can behave passively or very restless/aggressive or very gentle. You keep running into situations that you don’t know what to do with.
Some tips to remember when dealing with people with dementia are:
– Don’t argue
– Avoid confrontation with errors in thinking
– Do not expect that the person with dementia will naturally succeed in adjusting his thinking
– Keep in touch.
– Find out what the life story of the person with dementia is, so that you can better connect to it.
And what you do well:
– Show a relaxed posture
– Use a soft and friendly voice
– Look friendly, make eye contact
– Try to keep the person with dementia active as long as possible,
– Provide good nutrition.
It is important for the informal carer to involve others in the care in a timely manner and, above all, to continue to take time for themselves. This can prevent the informal carer from becoming overburdened with all the consequences that entails. Taking the aforementioned tips into account may help to improve the quality of life of the person with dementia and of those close to them. In conclusion, it can be said that it is not possible to give 1 golden rule of conduct because the clinical picture of dementia is different for everyone. The most important tip that can be given is: Let the person with dementia in his / her worth!
The next Alzheimer’s Café meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28 (note, this is a week later than usual). The theme: The role of the general practitioner and practice nurse in dementia. Guest speaker is GP J. Goossens, who works at Van Dijk General Practice in Oisterwijk. This evening the discussion will be about the role of the general practitioner and practice assistant in the syndrome of dementia. The doctor will answer questions such as:
– What can the GP do?
– Can the GP make the diagnosis and how is the examination going?
– When is someone referred to the memory clinic?
– What can you expect from the GP in the follow-up process after the diagnosis has been made?
– What is the role of the practice nurse?
Come and listen and join the conversation at the Alzheimer café
The Alzheimer Café is a meeting place for people with dementia, young and old, for relatives, friends, help and service providers and other interested parties. Fellow sufferers can mean a lot to each other, they recognize what the other is going through and what this means for him or her. The support that those present give each other is of great value, and those present go home with a satisfied feeling.
Walk-in from 7.30 pm. Duration program from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Location De Coppele, Prunusstraat 69, Oisterwijk. Registration is not necessary.
More about dementia-friendly Oisterwijk
