National Dementia Care Conference 2018 – Assisted Decision Making Act Impact – Advanced Care Planning – Dealing With Dementia in the Home

The Myhomecare team were delighted to attend the National Dementia Care Conference on Thursday February 8th 2018 in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. In it’s 4th year, the conference this year focused on the future of Dementia Care in Ireland to enable delegates to critically review their approach to the care of patients with dementia and delirium.

Representing the Myhomecare team on the day was Jodi Scorr – Client Relationship Manager. This was Jodi’s first time to attend the conference and Jodi wanted to build business relationships with key note speakers. In preparation for the event, Jodi researched key people to network with and target on Linkedin and looked up the history of company websites. Speaking about the conference Jodi said: “I arrived at 11 o’clock having committed my early morning with an existing client visit. I heard key speakers Louise Campbell, Sally O’Grady, Carol de Wilde, Norma Sheehan, Suzanne Cahill, Amanda Bohan, William Molloy, Breffni Guinness and John Starr. Overall, it was extremely insightful. I really enjoyed learning more about and trying to understand Alzheimer’s and Dementia. It was a great event for networking and building new business opportunities”.

Who attended?

Professionals who assess/care for dementia patients, nurses, directors of nursing, social care workers, home care providers, carers, nursing homes, consultants, GP’s, regulators, associations, researchers and universities and more.

Some topics covered

• Dementia in Ireland today – what has changed since 2014 and the national strategy.
• Existing gaps in the journey of care.
• Focus on home care needs.
• Focus on post-diagnostic supports needs.
• Focus on geographic inconsistency of services.
• Dementia in Ireland – next steps required.

There was an important and interesting array of keynote speakers such including:

• Pat McLoughlin, CEO, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. 
• Patricia Rickard Clarke, Solicitor & Former Commissioner, The Law Reform Commission. 
• Deirdre Shanagher, Development Officer, The Irish Hospice Foundation. 
• Dr. Louise Campbell, lecturer in medical ethics, NUI Galway.
• Professor Suzanne Cahill, Trinity College Dublin. 
• Carol de Wilde, Principal Social Worker St Columcille’s Hospital and Founding Member of the Alzheimer’s Café Bray.
• Norma Sheehan, Director of Nursing, Saint Joseph’s Shankill. 
• Amanda Bohan, Owner and Managing Director, Home Instead Senior Care. 
• Breffni McGuinness, Training Manager, Irish Hospice Foundation. 
• John Starr, Director, Alzheimer’s Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh. 
• Prof D W Molloy. 

What is dementia?

Dementia is not one specific disease. It is a term used to describe a wide range of symptoms. Dementia is a term which describes a number of conditions that cause damage to brain cells. It is a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. It is estimated that there are 55,000 people with dementia in Ireland. Not every person with dementia will experience the same symptoms.

Different types of dementia

• Alzheimer’s Disease – the most common form of dementia in which abnormal proteins cause brain cells to die. The most common early symptom is memory loss.
• Vascular dementia – this is the second most common form of dementia. This occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted such as stroke and causes problems with thinking and planning.
• Dementia with Lewy Bodies – is a type of dementia that shares symptoms with both Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. It gets its name from the small spherical structures that develop inside nerve cells. Symptoms include hallucinations and problems with movement.
• Fronto-Temperal Dementia – Causes damage to the front and sides of the brain first. This causes changes to personality, language and behaviour before memory.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – is caused by an abnormal protein called prion which infects the brain. Early symptoms include mood changes, loss of interest and minor lapses of memory.
• Young-onset dementia – People who develop dementia before the age of 65. Younger people with dementia are more likely to have problems with movement, coordination, balance and and walking.
• Alcohol related (including Korsakoffs syndrome) – Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) is a brain disorder caused by regularly drinking too much alcohol over several years. The term ARBD covers several different conditions including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and alcoholic dementia. None of these is actually a dementia, but they may share similar symptoms.

Symptoms

• Memory loss.
• Difficulty communicating or finding words.
• Difficulty reasoning/problem-solving.
• Difficulty handling complex tasks.
• Difficulty with planning/organising.
• Difficulty with coordination.
• Confusion and disorientation.

Causes of Dementia

• Stroke, brain tumor or head injury.
• Age – dementia affects 1 in 70 people in Ireland aged 65-70 and affects 1 in 5 people over the age of 80.
• Genetics.
• Lifestyle Diet/Nutrition – high fat contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure and bad cholesterol which are all associated with dementia.

Prevention

• Healthy mind – keep the brain active by doing exercises such as puzzles and reading.
• Quit smoking – People who are heavy smokers in their mid-life, double their risk of developing dementia.
• Exercise – older adults who do not exercise are more likely to have memory problems.

Dementia Care Conference 2018: http://ichn.ie/national-dementia-care-conference-2018-assisted-decision-making-act-impact-advanced-care-planning-dealing-with-dementia-in-the-home/

For more information on Dementia visit: http://www.alzheimer.ie