Trapped by past trauma

A resident has been having multiple altercations with staff and other residents, incidents he has no memory of. The care team is struggling to understand why this is happening, but a crucial detail soon emerges through careful observation by staff.

Behaviour that often seems strange is actually a powerful form of communication, rooted in a person's history.

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Consent has been gained from all those who shared their stories.

Please note: These are examples of what staff have done that have led to better outcomes for the people involved. However, it is important to recognise they will not suit everyone’s needs but serve to offer potential suggestions and to encourage you to explore alternative solutions that may help. Each example is the result of firstly getting to know and understand the individual, being curious to find solutions to providing better care and closely monitoring the outcomes of any changes made. If initiating suggestions given from the stories shared, we would encourage you to safeguard that person-centred care is in place and that you complement your learning from these stories with the relevant training needed to ensure you have the confidence and knowledge required.

1. Specific learning resources to help health and social care professionals understand the complex relationship between trauma and dementia and to support routine implementation of trauma informed practice in dementia care.
2. Dementia UK provide guidance and a template for creating a life story.

General links for all resources