1. Supporting Emotional Safety in Dementia
Supporting Emotional Safety in Dementia
Dr Sarah Butchard
Clinical Psychologist
Mersey Care NHS Trust/ BPS Faculty for Psychology of Older People

2. Outline Emotional Impact of receiving a diagnosis
Outline
Emotional Impact of receiving a diagnosis
What is emotional safety?
Frameworks to support emotional safety
Practical examples
Future directions

3. Perception of dementia
Perception of dementia

4. Dementia Words Useless Mad Dependent Confused Old Losing It Stupid
Dementia Words
Useless
Mad
Dependent
Confused
Old
Losing It
Stupid
Demented

5. Why is Stigma Important?
Why is Stigma Important?
External stigma and stereotypes are often internalised impacting on the way a person feels about themselves.
Stigma can lead to the other S words:
Shame
Silence
Secrecy

6. and offering help Inactivity in seeking dementia prevents discussion
and offering help
Inactivity in
seeking
dementia prevents
discussion
Stigma of
Nothing can be
False belief:
done
Normal part of
ageing

7. An Alternative

8. How to get from A to B

10. Emotional Safety Many definitions of emotional safety.
Emotional Safety
Many definitions of emotional safety.
Some common factors:
Involves relationships
Relies on trust
Feeling of being accepted
Able to just be
Allows people to feel able to be open , at ease and to develop.

11. Why Emotional Safety?
Dementia services have traditionally focused on decline.
Encouraging emotional safety will be looking at people’s strengths and abilities.

12. BioPsychoSocial Model
BioPsychoSocial Model
Social
Psychology
Biology
How I react
How others react

13. Kitwood’s Emotional Needs
Kitwood’s Emotional Needs

14. A Human Rights Based Approach
A Human Rights Based Approach
Participation
Accountability
Non-Discriminatory
Empowerment
Legality
The Panel Principles

15. Key factors
Maintaining personhood is the central aim of care provision
Key role of the carer is to reflect people’s humanity and social value
Promote independence
Knowledge of the person
Biographical and life story work
Partnership working
Subjective experience

16. Practical examples Post diagnostic support
Practical examples
Inclusion
Participation
Identity
Hope
Empowerment
Post diagnostic support
Accountability
Occupation
Peer support/ Inclusion groups
Non-Discriminatory
Legality
Patricipation
Dementia friendly communities