The Team at Northampton Nurse Plus have decided they would like to support those in local care homes diagnosed with Dementia.

Nurse Plus Are Committed to supporting managers with their staffing needs, and would also like to support their service users- especially with a diagnosis of Dementia.

Service users with dementia can find living in a different setting away from home, confusing. By giving them a teddy bear it has been found to help them interact, communicate with staff and help to reduce their likelihood of withdrawing into themselves from what is happening around them.

The teddies can help alleviate agitation or distress, giving the service user a sense of ownership and responsibility which can be extremely beneficial. It may be that not everyone will benefit from a bear but we hope that many will.

We must all remember the person behind the dementia; the person is more than the dementia.

Symptoms of dementia include:

• Memory loss – problems with short term memory is often the first sign

• Communication problems – linked to memory loss, communication problems often arise when a person is unable to recall a particular word or phrase in conversation

• Changes in mood – dementia symptoms can have a profound effect on a person’s life; this can give rise to mixed emotions (sadness, anxiety, anger).

Dementia symptoms are progressive; they worsen over time. Advanced symptoms usually mean that a person is unable to look themselves without assistance. Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. While prevalent in the over 65s, dementia can also affect younger people.

Please Support our Fund to buy Extra Teddies. and help us help a service user with dementia.

Thankyou

Emily & Lorna At Nurse Plus, Northampton