Mrs T's Story

Mrs T is now less frustrated and her family less anxious

Mrs T, a Somali woman with mild Dementia and physical disability was receiving a domiciliary care service from us. All of our staff receive full training in Dementia Awareness during their induction, this provides them with insight into the condition, its symptoms and the best practice methods for caring for the person. Our staff were well prepared for Mrs T’s needs.

After she had been with us for a while, Mrs T began to display challenging behaviour, manifesting as frustration expressed through verbal abuse, causing a lot of anxiety for her family. Fortunately, our devoted, well-trained team were able to understand that a major cause of this was the fact that Mrs T was returning to her native tongue of Somali, a common symptom among Dementia sufferers.

Care staff alerted their manager, and this triggered a Care Plan review. New goals were set which included providing a Somali speaking carer to help overcome the increasing communication issues.

We also produced picture cards, allowing Mrs T to continue to have choice and control over her everyday care, including her meals. This, in turn, led to a decrease in frustration and in her challenging behaviour.

The care plan also identified mobility outcomes. We liaised with the OT and got the four-wheel rollator walker which Mrs T uses to transfer her meals and drink to and from the kitchen independently.

Mrs T is now less frustrated and her family less anxious. She remains with us and we continue to monitor and review her needs regularly. Mrs T’s family are very happy with the care she receives and how we handled her increasing needs.