Sasha and Olivia work with Steven, a resident of Kensington Gardens.
Coming from a place of understanding
Alzheimer's Disease is a degenerative brain disease that causes the brain to shrink, and disrupts normal brain function due to plaques and tangles. Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the conditions that causes dementia, a steady decline in memory and mental function.
Registered practical nurse, Sasha Johnston, and Social Worker, Olivia Boukydis, are part of a province-wide initiative to provide in-house behaviour support to residents living in long-term care. Together they make up the Behaviour Support Team (BST) and help people living at Kensington Health with dementia.
People living with dementia can often display responsive behaviours. These are behaviours that result from an unmet need. In some cases, it may be difficult for people to understand what the unmet need is. Sometimes responsive behaviours can be caused by an untreated medical condition like dehydration or constipation. Other times responsive behaviours can be psychosocial, caused by a specific life event in the past. To help support residents with responsive behaviours, the BST investigates their psychosocial and life history to help them learn what their triggers and unmet needs could be.
Since joining Kensington in February 2017, Sasha and Olivia’s roles continue to evolve.
“We are extremely supported by management, the whole nursing team, and the education department,” said Olivia. “Kensington fosters a very collaborative environment.” added Sasha.
Sasha and Olivia work with Steven, a resident of Kensington Gardens.
Building lasting relationships
For Sasha and Olivia, building relationships is one of the most important aspects of their role. They introduce themselves to Kensington families and caregivers early in the admission process. In some cases, they also visit with people who are waiting for admission to long-term care.
“You can’t help someone if you don’t know them,” said Olivia. “It’s important to get to know the person as a whole instead of just their illness. Connecting with caregivers and families can help us gauge who they used to be, which will help us care for who they are now.” added Sasha.
The BST is part of a larger movement to help reduce the use of anti-psychotic drugs in long-term care. To accomplish this, they connect with staff, families, and caregivers to create individualized care plans and strategies for residents. A lot of support comes from educating more staff at Kensington. Increased awareness and training allows more staff at Kensington to support residents with responsive behaviours.
Could you or your loved one benefit from Behaviour Support? Visit the Contact Us page.
Looking for more information on Alzheimer's Disease? Visit the Alzheimer Society of Canada.