Face to face with Dementia
Have you ever wondered what it’s like
to live with Dementia?
A group of staff at the Bay of Plenty DHB
experienced this first hand recently, when
they were asked to wear goggles, headphones
blasting various background noise, ill-fitting
gloves and shoe insoles and then asked to
complete simple straight forward tasks in a set
time.
The ‘Dementia Reality Tours’ as they are called,
are designed to simulate what it’s like for the
more than 60,000 New Zealanders who are
living with Dementia. For the 12 staff who took
part in the tour, it was a frustrating experience,
giving them a real insight into the challenges
faced by those with dementia.
The tours are just one of several activities
underway marking World Alzheimer’s Month.
they gain a better understanding of the patients
they support with dementia.
“For some people it is a real eye opener.
People who’ve done the tours often comment
afterwards, that they had no idea how hard it is
for people with dementia to do simple things like
putting on a jersey.”
Western Bay Edition - July 2016
Nurses Bella McMillan and Patrick White
trying to complete simple straightforward
tasks while wearing equipment impairing
their ability to concentrate.
Ruth has been running the tours in hospitals
and health organisations from Gisborne to
Taranaki for the past four years.
Participants wear taped gloves and
uncomfortable shoe insoles to simulate arthritis,
goggles to impair their vison, and noisy headsets
interfering with their ability to concentrate.
They then have five simple tasks such as
pulling three tissues from a box to complete in
ten minutes.
Ruth says more than 150 have done the tours
but not one has ever completed all five tasks in
the set timeframe.
Ruth Thomas, Midland Regional Dementia
Behavioural Support and Advisory Service
co-ordinator, says it’s a step towards creating
more dementia-friendly communities.
“By staff experiencing what it’s like to live with
dementia even for a short ten minute period,
“People are often glad when the ten minutes is
up. You can see their frustration. They go away
saying they’ll be much more patient with those
living with Dementia in the future.”
Phone your GP day or night for medical advice
Phone your GP day or night for
healthcare advice is
the message going out to
Western Bay residents.
A new telephone nurse triage service has
been introduced to answer after-hours calls
for all 30 of the Western Bay’s GP Practices.
The service, launched last week, will help
people get fast, effective advice any time
of the day said Dr Joe Bourne, a GP for Nga
Kakano Foundation in Te Puke.
“It is very simple, for medical advice you
need only remember the phone number
of the GP Practice you are registered with.
That should be your first point of access
to the medical system at any time of day.
Phone your GP 24/7.
“If the call is after-hours it will be
automatically re-directed to the triage
service where a qualified nurse will discuss
your treatment options and point you in the
right direction for the care you need.”
Dr Bourne added that by calling their GP
day or night people would get the expert
medical advice they needed straight away,
helping them get better sooner.
“It is a good idea for people to save their
GP’s number to their mobile phone so that
they have it handy when needed,” he says.
“The call could save you time and money.
You could save yourself a potentially long
wait in the Emergency Department for
PLEASE RETURN
any loaned hospital equipment to
Tauranga Hospital’s main reception.
Thank you.
an issue which could be treated at the
pharmacy or physiotherapist for example.
And if it is a simple case of buying medicine
over-the-counter this could save you the
cost of a consultation. The nurse will be
able to give you this advice over the phone.
“So, if you’re sick, save time and money,
phone your GP first.”
If the issue is a medical emergency
the triage service will be able to connect
patients with an ambulance.
The after-hours nurse triage service is
a joint initiative between the Western
Bay Primary Health Organisation, Nga
Mataapuna Oranga and the Bay of Plenty
District Health Board.
Dr Joe Bourne says people should call
their GP’s day or night for expert
healthcare advice.