When people who do not practice respect and dignity are in charge of care.
This trip back to Singapore, I spent much of my time running focus group discussions for my research project and meeting people involved in the care of people with dementia. So far in my care experience, all the people I have known in healthcare have hearts bigger than the universe, and dedicate a lot of time and effort into making a difference to people living with dementia. I have been inspired, awed and swept off my feet by people who continue to work against the tide to bring better care to their clients come hell or high water.
I never thought I would meet such a person, perhaps I am idealistic and always hope to see the best in people but I actually met a person who not only had little respect and disregard for her fellow staff, she was unemphatic and condescending to external staff. They may not bear the same rank as her but everyone deserves the same level of dignity and respect.
It scares me that a person that have such little respect and dignity, with so little understanding of person centred care is running a ship of programmes and services for people with dementia.
How can the person be truly aligned with the needs of the person with dementia, caregivers, staff and the philosophy of care? I hope organisations will look beyond the qualifications and also consider the attitude, understanding of dementia and the person’s ability to promote person-centred care in their organisation when they look to find leaders spearheading dementia care programmes.
Designing for Aged Care 