DEMENTIA IN DENMARKHANNE FRIBERG, EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT, SOSU ZEALAND

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DEMENTIA IN DK

According to present extrapolations there will be approxemately 164.000 Danes suffering from dementia in 2040. Today the prevalence is about 90.000.

The “Dementia Units” takes care of the diagnostic evaluation of people suspected of having dementia. The evaluation is distributed between many actors, general practitioner and specialists (neurologists, psychiatrists and geriatricians).

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DANISH DEMENTIA RESEARCH

http://www.videnscenterfordemens.dk/engelsk-hjemmeside

The ”Danish Dementia Research Centre” consists of 3 departments:

•Research

•Dissemination of knowledge

•Treatment and Diagnosis

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THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN

Denmark got a ”National Action Plan” in 2010 consisting of 7 key action areas:

1.Organization and collaboration

2.Diagnosis

3.Socio-professional contribution 

4.Law and dementia

5.Relatives and collaboration

6.Education

7.Research and knowledge

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INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION-MANY COMPETENCES 

A lot of training courses are developed in AMU and we pick the fruits from the AMU tree and we construct the training courses to match the actual needs

A LOT OF TRAINING COURSES

Dementia

Griff and crisis

CoopertionPalliation

Tecnique of handling in diplacement task

Food and elderlypeople

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TOM KITWOOD

In the dementia care and dementia lectures in Denmark we work on the basis of Tom Kitwood’s thoughts (English psychologist) about more person-focused care.

”Each person is special”

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MARKS ON THE JOURNEY OF LIFE

Every single person has become the person he/she is through a way that is unique for him/her.

Every stage on the journey has left its marks. Those marks are important information to the care giver.

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THE ROOT OF THE TREEBy working with the starting point in the ”root” of a person we encourage the well-being.

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LIFE PATTERNSYou could speak of a ”life pattern”, when events in you life – e.g. morning rituals, eating habits, working pattern, family traditions – cohere and repeat themselves in certain ways daily, weekly, monthly, yearly etc.

A life pattern covers the important things in the everyday life.

• Practical help and nursing in the home

• Activities (“day homes”)

• Relatives' group and education

• Voluntary organizations (Alzheimer society (Alzheimerforeningen))

• Holiday support

• Nursing home

• Relief care

• Dementia coordinators i the districts provide help and guidance for colleagues as well as for subjects with dementia and their relatives

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EXAMPLES OF SUPPORTING POSSIBILITIES