Vascular Dementia

Biography

Biography: Tanya Clover

Abstract

Reform has taken place in England with the implementation of the Care Act (2014) and its expectation that all agencies, statutory and otherwise, must cooperate. Such cooperation, however, risks marginalising the most important voice, that of the abused person themselves. When acts of abuse in care settings are investigated, it often results in the dismissal or removal from roles of individuals deemed responsible for the acts. To prevent the reoccurrence of abuse we must look beyond the perpetrator to the systems that surround them. Protection will not come about simply from telling people what is right or wrong. If it were, society would enact laws and all abuse would cease. With the existing raft of legislation and human rights declarations worldwide we can see that this has not happened. Person-centred thinking tools are both a device and a process that can be used to drive and sustain change for individuals, teams, organisations, communities and societies. Their ultimate goal is to ensure that individuals have more choice and control through an ongoing loop of listening, learning and actions – in essence, realising their uniqueness as a person of equal standing to others. Person-centered thinking tools can support the transition from people living with dementia being passive recipients of care to their being recognised as equal and valued members of society. They herald a new progression, as services aspire to move beyond person centred support towards people living with dementia being attributed citizenhood.