Providing the right support

One of the individuals who has benefited from Consensus’ early on-set dementia specialist support is Marian.

Marian is a middle-aged woman who had been diagnosed with learning disabilities and complex needs. She had spent nearly 20 years in an adult placement before going through a series of failed placements that made her feel depressed and increased her challenging behaviour.

Marian found relationships with people very difficult and struggled to get on with both support staff and other service users. She was very sensitive to how she was perceived by others and found herself trapped in a vicious circle where negative reactions would increase her challenging behaviour.

When Consensus first met Marian, we carried out an extensive assessment and she received a new diagnosis which included early onset dementia. This greater understanding of Marian’s needs meant that we could design a person-centred plan that would provide her with more support.

As Marian found meeting new people unsettling and threatening, support staff made sure that she could get to know people gradually and settle in to life at the service at her own pace. Staff worked closely with her to understand her frustrations and recognise situations that would cause her to feel anxious. As a result, Marian was able to avoid becoming agitated and incidents that might lead to challenging behaviour.

By getting involved in domestic activities such as cleaning her room and washing dishes, Marian found it easier to distract herself from unsettling thoughts. She also began taking part in activities like singing and listening to music, which she found relaxing and fun.

As Marian develops her skills our staff have developed her person-centred plan so that she can continue to take more control over her life. By doing things one step at a time Marian has been able to reduce her challenging behaviour and enjoy new and varied opportunities.

“Early onset dementia is a condition that requires specialist support and bespoke services. We are extremely proud of the unique services we provide, that enable the people they support to achieve such great things.

“Marian is a wonderful example of our philosophy in action and we look forward to supporting many more people to achieve positive outcomes.” Simon Kezic, Development Manager for Consensus Wales

To find out more about our specialist Early Onset Dementia support. Please click here.