Level 3 Dementia: the Assessment of Pain

Course review:

It is difficult to assess and measure pain when working with patients with severe dementia. This course provides learners with the insight and in-depth knowledge to ensure person centred care. Understanding the reporting and communication strategies to provide the best care possible.

Course Objectives:

• What is pain and how is pain assessed?
• What are the common causes of pain? How can these affect a person with dementia? What do you look for? Physiological, body language and behavioural changes
• To recognise the importance of communication from a staff perspective and to understand the changes in communication that can occur for a person with dementia.
• How can this affect the administration of medication, catheterisation, tissue viability, incontinence, behaviour, nutrition, PEG feeding?
• What can you do? Alternative therapies, the importance of the person-centred approach and continuity of care.
• What support is available locally?
• Importance of working in partnership with community support, dentists, GPs, speech and language advisor, district nurses etc.

The target audience for this course are social care workers from residential, nursing, domiciliary care and the voluntary and community sector who work with a person with dementia.