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Care experts dismiss dementia myths
| Published: 25th January 2021 16:18 |
CARE experts at the award-winning Abacare in Wales are dismissing common myths surrounding dementia this month (January 2021).
Staff at the care company are experts in dementia care and deal with service users who have the condition every day.
Neil Griffiths, Regional Manager at Abacare, which provides care to the elderly and vulnerable in their own homes across Wales, said: “Dementia isn’t something a lot of people learn about at a younger age and there is a lot of misconception surrounding it, so we’ve decided to give people the lowdown on some of the biggest myths out there.
“According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently 850,000 people with the condition in the UK, with numbers set to rise to more than one million by 2025, so it’s incredibly important that more people are made aware of the truth behind the condition and learn as much as they can about it:
- You will get dementia when you get old – one in six people over the age of 80 have it and the likelihood of developing it rises with age, however it is not a given that everyone will develop it in old age.
- There’s nothing we can do about it – while there is no test or cure for the disease there are lots of things you can do to help prevent it and keep your brain healthy. It’s important to maintain a healthy diet and keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check. There are lots of ways you can reduce your risk of developing the condition by leading a healthy lifestyle.
- It is hereditary – if a parent or older relative has dementia, this does not mean you will definitely have it too. Less than 1% of all cases are from a gene being passed down in families – most people will develop it as a result of a combination of age, lifestyle and health.
- It’s just being ‘forgetful’ – memory loss can be a symptom of dementia, however the condition affects people in many ways. It can cause changes in behaviour, confusion and disorientation as well as causing difficulty in communicating. It can also lead to decreased or poor judgement, mood swings and trouble understand visual and spatial relationships. Everyone who has dementia will experience it in a different way.
“As well as dispelling these myths, we will also be offering our advice to the general public on the different things they can do to avoid the onset of dementia. People can also head to our blog at www.abacare.org.uk for lots of help and advice on the subjects.”
Abacare operates a professional Care Management Team that is committed to providing high quality care to individuals in their own homes.
The large team of trained, specialist, care workers provide positive based outcomes and person-centred care to people throughout the UK.
Its core values, instilled into every staff member, include ‘make us proud’, ‘focus on our service users’ wellbeing’, ‘communicate, listen well and speak with respect’, ‘be passionate, honest, caring and considerate’, ‘recruit and develop the very best’ and ‘lead by example’.
It believes it offers inspiring work for inspirational people.
Neil added: “We are fighting against the current economic climate and are filling more positions than ever. This is a great opportunity for those looking for a completely new and exciting opportunity in 2021 to work in this very rewarding role. Being a carer is a really satisfying job and gives people the opportunity to create a worthwhile and long-term career for themselves.
“We give free uniforms and a national staff discount scheme for all major brands with exclusive discounts online and in-store from retailers including Tesco, Primark and Argos, and it also covers holidays and electrical goods. We have jobs available in Wales now with immediate start, no experience necessary, just a willingness to care and to learn.
“We are looking for new recruits to help make a difference within communities across Wales by caring for individuals seeking extra support. Carers who join our team will help to provide domiciliary and live-in care as well as dementia care.”
Anyone interested should contact their nearest branch and details of these can be found at https://abacare.org.uk/contact-us/. People can also find out more information about job vacancies at www.indeed.com/cmp/Abacare.
Abacare is a member of the United Kingdom Homecare Association, Ceretas (formerly British Association of Domiciliary Care), The National Homecare Council and The Information Commissioners Office (Data Protection). It is also registered with the Care Inspectorate Wales.
For more information about Abacare, please call 01248 677 919 or visit www.abacare.org.uk. Alternatively, please follow the company on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/Yn4zmS or on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/visitabacare.
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