Legislation and Dementia Care
introduction
The Mental Capacity Act 2005
The Mental Capacity Act was made to protect those who are not able to make decisions for themselves. This might be because they have a mental health illness, learning difficulties and maybe a brain injury which can prevent them from making their own decisions. This act allows these individuals to make their own decisions for example the elderly can make the choice of where they would like to be treated. This links to dementia because as the elderly are growing and are at the end stage of their life they will need for someone else to make decisions for them therefore mental capacity act ensure that these decisions are made by some that has the individuals best interest at heart and this act ensure that all the decisions that are made are in the best interest of the individual.
Safeguarding Vulnerable groups Act
This act was made to protect those who are vulnerable to ensure that they are taken care of properly for example in care homes where the elderly are at the end stage of their life and require a quality life and loving happy life and this act ensures that this is done. They make sure this is done by making sure that in every health and social care setting should make sure that all that want to work in health care should go through the DBS check to make sure all the individuals that have been convicted for any sort of crime should not be allowed to work with the elderly or anyone else again and also there is a barred list that have been created to make sure that all the convicts names have been named and barred. This links to dementia because as the elderly have grown they need care,compassion and good care and with someone who has been convicted it is more likely they are going to be abused, this act was created for that same reason to protect the vulnerable.
Putting people first
In January 2008, a circular went out to local authorities from the Department Health (DH). This set out information to support the transformation of social care, as outlined in the Health White Paper, 'Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: A new direction for community services' in 2006. It describes the vision for development of a personalised approach to the delivery of adult social care.
This major programme is being introduced under the auspices of 'Putting People First', published by the DH in December 2007. This document is the concordat with the Local Government Association (LGA), the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the NHS and others.
It is a shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care over a period of three years. Key elements are:
· prevention
· early intervention and re-enablement
· personalisation
· information, advice and advocacy.
This links to dementia because when the elderly are at the last stage dementia it is right that they are safe and happy and this means that those who are taking care of them should put them first and for them to be at the centre of their care and making sure everything should be about them.