Namaste Care Education and Resources

Constitutional objectives

3 The organisation's purposes are: (a) Advancement of education (and its sustainability) for staff and family caring for people with advanced dementia in care homes, community orientated organisations and 'at home' formal/informal carers. NEAR will provide an education programme and supporting resources that will meet all of the needs set out below. - To provide education and resources to professional health and social care staff supporting people with advanced and end-stage dementia within institutional settings (such as care home, hospices or hospital), or at home. In time we hope to extend educational support to unpaid carers of people with advanced and end-stage dementia. - Raise awareness of the Namaste Care programme for people with advanced and end-stage dementia - a system of care demonstrated through research to improve experiences of people living and dying with advanced and end stage dementia. (b) Improving the health (physical, psycho-social, spiritual and emotional) of people with advanced dementia living and dying in care homes/care at home communicating through the senses, nutrition, hydration, connection with others, which all underpin the programme (c) Providing a programme designed to promote equality and diversity for people with advanced dementia through involvement within their community to overcome the inability to participate in normal activities. NEAR will promote equality, diversity and inclusion for people with advanced and end-stage dementia through raising awareness around people living with advanced dementia being amongst the highest population of inequality and discrimination globally. Having a cognitive disability that is not yet widely understood has led to the fundamental psycho-social and spiritual needs of people with advanced dementia currently not being met. By educating the people that care for those living with advanced dementia, NEAR's programme educates staff and unpaid carers in this cognitive disability, raising awareness. of the level of discrimination currently afforded to those living with advanced dementia and provides valuable information, resources and tools to be able to provide equality and inclusion to them. Also, there are inequalities within palliative and end of life care for this group, and improving knowledge and skills of professional health and social care staff to change practices around under-recognition and treatment of pain and agitation, communication challenges and lack of appropriate care in the last phase of life. (D) The programme provides relief of isolation and loneliness for those with advanced dementia through daily interaction with people providing Namaste Care