Recovery and dementia: promoting choice and challenging controversy
| Date | 13 November 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-06-2017-0025 |
| Published date | 13 November 2017 |
| Pages | 297-303 |
| Author | Laura Louise Hammond,Conrad Debney |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
Recovery and dementia: promoting choice
and challenging controversy
Laura Louise Hammond and Conrad Debney
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to provide a viewpoint about why people with dementia should be
able to choose Recovery and how this approach might be experienced by them.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper addresses some key challenges to accepting Recovery as
an approach for people with dementia by making comparisons with people with mental health difficulties.
It then discusses key concepts of Recovery using the connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and
empowerment framework and how each one might be experienced by the person with dementia.
Findings –The challenges which cause concerns about the applicability of Recovery to people with
dementia are shared by people with mental health difficulties, therefore Recovery should be perceived as an
approach suitable for anyone regardless of their diagnosis. Recovery for people with dementia could mean:
connecting to the self, others and the world to promote feelings of purposefulness; having hope for the here
and now; preserving one’s identity; finding meaning in retaining skills and incorporating dementia into one’s
life; and, feeling empowered by keeping one’s mind working, adopting a positive attitude, having control and
making decisions.
Practical implications –People with dementia can choose to access Recovery, and commonly voiced
concerns can be answered and supported with evidence.
Originality/value –This is one of the only papers written to provide an understanding of how Recovery
might be experienced by people living with dementia, and directly answers some concerns.
Keywords Older people, Empowerment, Recovery, Dementia, Identity, CHIME
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
The Recovery approach promotes the idea that a person can live a meaningful life despite having
a mental health condition. Even in the presence of symptoms, an individual can gain a sense of
control over their own life and pursue their hopes and dreams.
The Government policy “The Journey to Recovery –The Government’s vision for mental health
care”intended to promote Recovery and embed it in practice (Department of Health, 2001) and
a detailed training programme and review in Scotland had a similar vision (Macduff et al., 2010).
Whilst both were well-meaning they only described the provision of services for people, with little
reference to service user and carer involvement. It was only around 2011 following the
“Implementing Recovery through Organisational Change (ImROC)”initiative, which aimed to
encourage more NHS trusts to become more Recovery-focused, that the first NHS-based
Recovery colleges were being properly established as something people could actually access
and use (ImROC, 2017).
While Recovery has gained traction in most areas of psychiatry, the application of its principles to
those with dementia continues to be a contested issue, overshadowed by complex physical
care needs and concerns about risk (Martin, 2009). The few papers which have explored this do
so largely from the viewpoint of the professional as the main agent and lead for Recovery
(Adams, 2010; Martin, 2009). A recent paper has highlighted that the narrative around Recovery
and dementia has to change (Perkins et al., 2016).
Laura Louise Hammond is a
Research Assistant
Psychologist at Research
Development Programme,
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS
Foundation Trust,
Norwich, UK.
Conrad Debney is a Dementia
Trainer at Training and
Education, Recovery College,
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS
Foundation Trust,
Norwich, UK.
DOI 10.1108/MHSI-06-2017-0025 VOL. 21 NO. 5 2017, pp. 297-303, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308
j
MENTALHEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
PAG E 29 7
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