Interesting. The issue with early onset dementia is that it is a catch all for a number of things - could be organic, could be the effects of alcohol etc. The main issue as I see it is the cognitive difficulties - particularly if frontal lobe damage.
But I think the main thing is to try and make sure they are included as much as possible – particularly in interventions like mutual help, positive words, know each other and the use of the chill box and talk down.
There will be a need to repeat information – reassurance may need to be repeated and also if we are reassuring other patients we might need to think a bit about how much and how we can tell them to explain behaviour – that memory and impulse control may well be damaged in the person. Most patients will see that there are particular difficulties for the EOD person
Kitwood, who wrote great stuff on dementia under the title Person Centred Care, would, I think, advise us to see these clients as needing adjustments, but who we should try to include and not see as beyond the help of any intervention. I have attached alink to an article on his approach.
And finally do tell us any lessons you learn. We don’t know the answers but we can struggle for the knowledge together.
www.stacommunications.com/customcomm/bac...pdfs/april03e/14.pdf