A critical approach to historical and contemporary understandings of dementia. Throughout this module you will explore the multi-disciplinary frameworks and discourses which seek to explain the experience of dementia.

Develop strategies and plans to create meaningful activities which support life enhancement and wellness. You will also develop a critical understanding of what it means to ‘live well’.

This module takes account of the wider social systems and ecologies which can both support and undermine the experience of living well with dementia. It will provide you with a systems-based appreciation of the experience of living well with dementia. The module examines the relationships of people diagnosed with the condition exploring interactions and perceptions of family, care-givers, community and society in general. You will focus on methods and approaches which enable partnerships and collaboration within wider social systems.

Gain an understanding of palliative and supportive care in dementia. This module has been developed in collaboration with end of life care specialists from Dove House Hospice in Hull.

Find out more about Dove House in our short video:

Dove House Hospice is a charity providing excellent care for people in the local community with life limiting illnesses. They are specialists in palliative care, which is the total care of patients whose illness is no longer curable and for whom the goal must be quality of life. The patient – not the illness – is the focus of Dove House’s care.

Topics covered during this module include defining a palliative care approach, relationship centered care, comfort care at the end of life, and loss and bereavement. At the end of the module, students will understand the legal and ethical issues, advanced care planning and the professional interventions which mitigate for and against a good death in the context of dementia.

Your dissertation (12,000 words) will help you to develop arguments which demonstrate alternative perspectives, challenge common perception and pave the way for new areas of enquiry in the dementia field.