Despoina Drivakou
AUTH, School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece
Title: Living with dementia: an intervention in a nursing house
Biography
Biography: Despoina Drivakou
Abstract
This oral presentation is based on a 4 year practice in KREOUZIOS nursing house, cited in Thessaloniki-Greece. The dynamic of this nursing house is 52 patients, 9 nurses, 2 clearing staff and 1 doctor. The criteria for someone to have a bed in this place, was to have a type of dementia or other neurological deficiency, like Parkinson or stoke patients, a not self-service person, because of mobility problems or when a rehabilitation center couldn’t provide any more help to the patient. A part of the cost for the hospitalization comes from the NHS, and the other half is coming from the personal income. Most of the patients are coming to the nursing house and they live there till the end of their life. Living with dementia in a nursing house, is quite difficult when there are no daily activities and impacts. Life turns boring and miserable, especially when the only interest every day is the feeding procedure, medication and hygienic procedure or doctor’s daily visits. My first day in Kreouzios nursing house was one of the most horrible days of my career. I Will neve forge the feeling in my stomachi when I metà the condizioni in this pace. There was no plan, no schedule for activities and the stuff was comletely brune out. I ha to decide chat I soul do. First the stuff? Or the patients? Afte 2 year of practice I ha some rally intestina resulta to bot direstino- stuff and patients. Afte 4 year of practice I col noti ce more possibiliste and opportuniste. This experience in KREOUZIOS nursing house was full of challenger. Some Times full of disappointments, Others Times fruitfull and memorabile moment.