Treasure Gawe

Mrs Jones has had alopecia for several years and during this time before she was unwell, she took pride in her looks and presentation. This included wearing a synthetic wig and pretty dresses, especially at church. Mrs Jones had a diagnosis of dementia and her daughter has supported and advocated for her by sharing information on what is important to Mrs Jones.

It would be important for the care Mrs Jones receives to reflect the things that are important to her. In this case, the worker is correct in encouraging Mrs Jones to wear her synthetic wig and this has been an important aspect of her personal care and presentation.

Mrs Jones’s faith is important to her as well as being well presented at church. Due to the diagnosis of dementia & the impact on her memory, Mrs Jones relies on staff to anticipate her needs and ensure that her personal care is completed in a way she would want and like. To support and empower Mrs Jones decision making in this instance, the support worker can consider mental capacity in relating to this decision of wearing her wig. If she does not have capacity on the dementia diagnosis and inability to retain information, then a decision will be made in her best interest.

A solution focussed approach will require the care worker to take the wig and put it in Mrs Jones bag and later ask her again if she would like to wear the wig. What is important is to be in constant dialogue & communication to enable Mrs jones to be supported and the outcome be suited to what is important to Mrs Jones.

However, Mrs Jones is a unique individual and this needs to be respected. If Mrs Jones continues to refuse, the documentation needs to be written clearly to capture the care episode. This will help in being accountable to the care plan and the information shared with the daughter about what is important.