RAISING awareness around changing behaviours in a friend, family member or a loved one was the topic of an address given by Dementia Australia at Western District Health Service (WDHS) Hamilton last Thursday.

WDHS director of nursing / manager Coleraine and director of aged care Services Coleraine / Penshurst, Bronwyn Roberts was pleased to coordinate the seminar for community members.

Ms Roberts engaged Dementia Australia counsellor Jason Kelly to give the presentation

“The session is about providing community with education and support,” she said.

“What this particular session was about is understanding changes in behaviour which is probably the most complex and difficult part of the disease process for people to understand because they see the changes in their loved one and they can’t reconcile it.”

“They’ve got to know how to manage that and still have that person (the dementia sufferer) be independent and be able to make choices.

“It’s about giving support and the tools to the carers to help them.

“It’s also to help the person living with the disease, because sometimes they actually know … something is not right and it would be distressing for them as well, particularly if you can’t remember things and then you might get frustrated and then you might have different behaviours or regress back into remembering more childhood or earlier memories, but not what you did yesterday or what you’ve got to do tomorrow.”

Ms Roberts said the last time they ran a presentation like this they set up a dementia support group for community or residents in care.

“We’ve also got hubs where people can go and get information,” she said.

“We’re looking at having another forum in September.”

Dementia Australia supports people of all ages living with all forms of dementia, their families and carers, and has highly experienced and qualified staff to provide information support and education services and can assist with accessing supports and services in the community.

For carers or family managing or interacting with a dementia sufferer who may become upset or agitated, Dementia Australia recommended the implementation of the 5D’s which are; Defuse - agree with what is being said (as appropriate); Delay - we’ll talk about it later; Divert (or Distract) - switch the conversation to something neutral; Depart - make an excuse to leave the room and then return later as if nothing has happened; Detach - see the behaviours as the illness, not the person.

Mr Kelly said the presentation was about teaching people a variety of stress management techniques.

“It was a presentation then a bit of a Q and A session that enabled community members to ask more specific questions,” he said.

“(It was about) teaching people (family members or carers) to go with the flow.

“So, if you’re managing their (the dementia sufferer) stress levels they’re going to operate at their best capacity - even though there’s damage in the brain.

“That’s what we’re trying to do mainly.

“Communication is everything.”

For more information or support go to dementia.org.au