'Challenging Dementia' Interprofessional Student Summer School
The College of Medicine's third annual summer school attracted more than 100 delegates, including speakers, service users and students from a diverse number of health and social care disciplines.
This year the focus was on dementia, a growing health concern which healthcare professionals are only likely to encounter more of in their future practice. Both the community and hospital present a wide range of obstacles for people with dementia and their carers and better support is needed to increase their quality of life. The summer school, which was co-hosted by the University of Birmingham, brought together enthusiastic like-minded people who had one main goal- to increase dementia awareness!
Day 1: 'Dementia has no cure'
A day of insightful talks and discussions was opened by senior lecturer Dr Zsuzsanna Nagy who focused on why there currently is no effective drug treatment for dementia, other than for temporary symptomatic control. It was explained that the complex pathophysiology surrounding some forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, is still not fully understood. this makes it difficult to create new drugs that would completely halt the process. A shocking fact also emerged of how the beginnings of dementia can start as early as 30 years age, remaining undetected and asymptomatic for long periods, by which time it may already be too late for any 'cure.' In addition, informed consent remains an issue when it comes to clinical trials with a third of patients usually dropping out before the end.
Following on from this, Professor George Tadros, a consultant in old age psychiatry, highlighted the importance of early diagnosis in dementia and clarified what is perceived to be 'normal' ageing. He also proposed the question 'Is memory everything?' to which he later replied that memory only plays a part in what essentially is a disorder of cognition. Early diagnosis may not only come as a relief to the person and family but also may empower the person, giving them independence for longer.
Professor Sube Banerjee, creator of the National Dementia Strategy, reiterated how diagnosing early is key to achieving a better quality of life. It facilitates early planning and decision-making for the future, as well as allowing better access to services and support that may reduce the amount of people placed into care homes. The key to achieving this is by reducing stigma, removing barriers and increasing the understanding of the public and healthcare professionals.
Both Simona Florio and Dr Karim Saad, a consultant psychiatrist, provided excellent examples of how change can be brought about in the community in regards to increasing support and awareness. Simona Florio co-ordinates a 'Healthy Living Club' in Lambeth, where people with dementia are able to socialise and interact, creating an open environment and a community feel. Dr Saad has created an innovative approach to reducing stigma, by targeting schools and educating school children about what dementia is and dispelling any myths.
Day 2: Building Empathy
The second day involved stimulating workshops which provided insight into the life of a dementia sufferer.
The day began with a video entitled 'Conversations that Matter,' shown by Rosemary Hurtley, a consultant occupational therapist. Using a scenario, the video illustrated how better to communicate with a person with dementia who presents a challenging situation. Empathising with the person is the first step to improving communication and building a positive relationship which can enhance the quality of care.
The theme of 'empathy' followed on into the first of two workshops, which was facilitated by Maize Owens-Mears, a mental health nurse and head of dementia services at Care UK. The environment was designed to provide a unique sensory and interactive experience of what it would be like to have dementia. The floor was littered with rubbish, walls posted with illegible signs, goggles were given out to create visual impairments and we were asked to take part in activities that caused confusion and loss of control. This provided some understanding of the sense of disorganisation and confusion that a dementia sufferer might experience and, with this powerful realisation, many students vowed to change the way they interact with patients, taking their difficulties into consideration.
The second workshop, 'Whose Shoes,’ created by Gill Phillips was based on a computer program to allow people from all walks of life to share their experiences and learn from each other. Two incredibly inspiring service users, Ken Howard and Larry Gardiner, both shared their differing experiences of the health system.
Ken, who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, had felt supported after his diagnosis and had worked out ways to cope, whereas Larry, who suffers from cognitive impairment after having a stroke, received no official diagnosis of dementia and described his difficulties accessing services to support him.
The conference drew attention to some of the key challenges faced today in regards to tackling dementia. There is still so much stigma amongst the public and healthcare professionals. Increasing awareness around what dementia is and what can be done will improve understanding and early diagnosis. Also, understanding the difficulties faced by people with dementia increases empathy and enables relationship-centred care, which would provide a better quality of life. Dementia is everyone's responsibility, regardless of profession, and there should be more support and services available for people in the community. The positivity and enthusiasm of the students at the conference, the College of Medicine members and speakers gave hope that this change is possible.
By Nisha Honap, Third Year BSc Adult Nursing
Photograph by Guillermo Gallego