Key Takeaways
- Social workers specialise in addressing and exploring the emotional and psychological needs of people with dementia and their caregivers.
- BPSD management: Social workers help support people with symptoms like anxiety, agitation, and depression linked to unmet needs.
- Person-centred care: Social workers focus on dignity, individual preferences, and personalised care and support plans.
- Caregiver support: They provide emotional support and resources to prevent burnout.
- Holistic approach: Social work considers the broader environment, involving family and community, for well-rounded care.
You might associate social work with children or care. But did you know that social work can support people with dementia? Social workers who specialise in both dementia and social work have the unique expertise to navigate the complex psychological and emotional needs that dementia brings for carers and their loved ones. They can recognise and interpret subtle behavioural changes, bringing in the right tailored interventions.
Social work and dementia
People who specialise in social work and dementia can address your loved one’s psychological and emotional needs. Social workers achieve this by employing a person-centred approach and trauma informed lens that prioritises dignity and worth. They support both people with dementia and their family caregivers. Key strategies in dementia and social work include Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD).
Understanding the needs
In dementia, there are more well-known symptoms, such as memory loss. But there are also some non-cognitive symptoms, such as anxiety, agitation, or depression. These symptoms are called Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia, or BPSD. BPSD often communicate unmet needs like discomfort, pain, calling out, or withdrawing from everyday activities. BPSD can also signify an underlying physical illness, an infection, or simply a broad need for social connection, safety, or comfort. Social work can help with supporting these symptoms.
Social work can also help with emotional wellbeing. After all, dementia can also lead to increased feelings of stigma and loneliness. So, dementia can affect a person’s sense of self-worth.
Social work interventions
So, how can social work help people with dementia? One approach a social worker might use is the person-centred approach. This is where social workers prioritise the worth, dignity, and rights of the person with dementia based on their preferences and passions.
Then there’s the ecological or systems perspective. This social work approach considers the individual within their broader environment, including their community, family, and organisations they’re involved in, to ensure holistic support.
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Managing BPSD:
Social workers can work with support partners and caregivers to identify symptoms of BPSD. They are then able to minimise the triggers in the environment that contribute to this distress, as well as supporting the psychological needs for safety and reassurance that may be causing BPSD. Supportive environments, with quiet, calm spaces and low-stimulation activities that promote emotional security, also help.
Emotional support and advocacy:
To provide emotional support to a person with dementia, support partners and social workers should offer a reassuring, calm presence and actively listen to the individual. A support worker should act as an advocate to ensure the person’s human rights and needs are met.
Connecting to resources:
To find social work and dementia specialist services, you can contact organisations like Dementia Support Australia (DSA). They work to support family caregivers with expert assessment, support, and advice, connecting them to counselling, resources, and other programs like psychoeducation, to help them manage their emotions.
Key principles for social work practice
Build trust:
A good social worker knows how to build trust and rapport with people experiencing dementia, founding their practice on relational theory.
Incorporate dementia care theory:
Social work and dementia support workers can also apply social work theories, such as systems theory, psychosocial theory and strengths-based theory, to understand and address the very unique challenges that individuals who have dementia face.
Support carers:
People who specialise in both dementia and social work help to support carers, recognising the key role unpaid family caregivers play. Social workers and dementia care workers provide essential support and can help make referrals to prevent carer burnout, thereby maintaining a loved one’s care system.
What is a Person-Centred Environment?
One of the key elements of practical social work and dementia care is a person-centred environment. This is where carers and social workers gain understanding of a person’s preferences, personality traits, and history, to create highly individualised care. At Videri, we call this understanding the person’s life story, being curious to discover the things that they find meaningful and purposeful. Social workers work with both individuals with dementia and their family or caregivers to build a supportive atmosphere, valuing dignity and respect. This environment includes:
Individual care plans
In social work and dementia, social workers work with families and caregivers to create personalised care strategies that align with a loved one’s values and wishes.
Personal expression
Activities that let a person with dementia express themselves, like music, art, or reminiscence therapy, can enhance both their sense of identity and emotional wellbeing.
Social work and dementia care combined are an essential part of dementia support. Addressing both psychological and emotional needs for people with dementia, as well as supporting families, caregivers and social workers are crucial, boosting the quality of life for people with dementia. A dementia and social work specialist’s commitment to advocacy, community engagement and person-centred care leaves a profound impact. At Videri Australia, we have our own team of Social Workers, who provide support to our residents and their families. Contact us to learn how we can assist you.
