Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia
This month, in recognition of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, explore how DASCH’s Specialized Support team helps identify dementia in the people we support, offers resources and training for staff, and makes accommodations to ensure the best quality of life.
Dementia and intellectual disabilities
Dementia is a term for a collection of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type, affecting thinking and memory.
Adults with intellectual disabilities develop dementia at similar rates to the general population, except for those with Down syndrome, who are three to five times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The risk of dementia increases with age for all.
Research on dementia and intellectual disabilities is growing, and resources continue to improve. Some signs of dementia might be overlooked in people with intellectual disabilities if assessments aren’t tailored to their abilities or if declines in daily function are mistakenly attributed to their disability.
Establishing an aging baseline
The first step at DASCH is establishing an aging baseline, making it easier to identify changes over time that could indicate dementia. This yearly check-in starts at 40 years for people with Down syndrome and 50 years for others.
Our Specialized Support team uses a questionnaire from the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG) to assess mobility, memory, and daily tasks.
Multiple support staff complete the questionnaire to get a comprehensive understanding. If no significant changes are noted, the baseline is reassessed the following year or sooner if needed.
Signs of dementia
If the initial questionnaire indicates possible signs of dementia, we dig deeper with three more detailed questionnaires completed by support staff, day program facilitators, family members, or others in the person’s circle.
Each person we support has unique communication and mobility skills, and behaviours can change depending on the person they are with, so our team asks additional questions to create a clear picture before writing a report.
The dementia journey
The journey varies for each person, and we tailor support plans individually. Next steps could include:
- Continuing regular check-ins if quality of life remains high
- A formal dementia diagnosis by a doctor using the report
- Spending time with the person at home for better support insights
- Additional training on dementia for support staff
- Making changes in the home to ensure safety and comfort
Staff training
Extra training is available for direct support workers to ensure they are educated and well-equipped to support the person with dementia in their care. This can include training in the home, communication with our Specialized Support team, and resources from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
Accommodations in the home
One senior we support loves flipping through vintage car books. As his ability to hold the heavy book declined because of his dementia, our team photocopied the book into smaller sections so he could continue enjoying his pastime.
Other types of accommodation could relate to changes in vision. In contrast to a white floor, a black bathmat may look scary to someone with dementia. Or a white plate on a white table may be hard to see.
Changing the bathmat to something lighter in colour or adding a placemat under the white plate so it’s easier to see are easy fixes to reduce stress.
How you can help
Our commitment to continuous learning and adaptation helps us offer the highest standard of care, making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we support – but we can’t change lives without you.
Spread the word by sharing this article, subscribing to our newsletter, or making a donation to the DASCH Foundation and join us in building an inclusive community!
Sources:
https://www.alzint.org/u/intellectualdisabilities.pdf
https://ndss.org/resources/alzheimers
https://alzheimer.ca/en