Enhanced dementia practice resource for social workers and other professionals

A couple sitting in their garden and smiling at the camera. You can see flowers behind them.

Having the right support and reaching your best level of health and wellbeing is very important. This is true not only for the person living with dementia, but also their families and carers. This section is designed to enhance your learning on all types of wellbeing; physical (including active lifestyles and pain management) as well as psychological (including emotional wellbeing).

Promoting Excellence support your learning by encouraging you to think about the importance of health and wellbeing for people across all stages of the 'dementia journey':

keeping well, prevention and finding out it's dementia
living well
living well with increasing help and support
end of life and dying well.

In the key resources part of health and wellbeing you will be directed towards several sections of the enhanced level psychological resource, where you can consider health and wellbeing from a variety of perspectives. Here is an extract from Section 1:

'Health psychology examines the relationship between biological, environmental/experiential and psychological variables... At an obvious level, health has a profound effect on our psychological characteristics over and above the social effects of disease such as being unable to work or go out. For example, a delirium severely affects memory, concentration, perception and other thought processes. Pain or tiredness affects at least concentration. Many medical conditions increase the risk of mental health difficulties, especially depression. Depression affects memory, concentration and motivation.'

Importantly, the impact of stress and distress on people with dementia is considered here, together with some of the ways we can anticipate and prevent stressed and distressed feelings and behaviour.

It is important that you think about how your practice can contribute to services and supports which meet the Quality of Life Outcomes which are the cornerstone of Promoting Excellence. One specific outcome states:

'People with dementia maintain their best level of physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing.'

You can have a significant role in supporting that to happen.

Learning outcomes

When you have worked through this section of the resource you will be able to:

examine and recognise the signs of dementia and other mental and physical health issues including depression and delirium
facilitate access to appropriate local specialist professionals and services for psychological, pharmacological and community- based assessment, advice and/or support
support the person with dementia to maximise their strengths and signpost to activities and resources which promote wellbeing for themselves, their families and carers
recognise and understand the causes and signs of stress and distress for the person with dementia, their families and carers and the psychological, psycho-social and environmental interventions which may alleviate or prevent occurrence
recognise and promote best practice in palliative and end of life care.

Enhanced dementia practice for social workers

Health and wellbeing

Learning outcomes

We'd like to hear from you about how you used this resource.