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Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) – A Patient’s Guide to FND

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Check out the NEW Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Formulation Tool

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What can I do if someone tells me they're having suicidal thoughts?

If someone does tell you they are having suicidal thoughts, always take them seriously. Try to listen in an unhurried way without distractions. You don't have to be able to solve their problems. The act of listening and being understanding will help. If you can, offer support and encourage them to talk about their feelings.

If you can, arrange to speak to them again at a specific time. This will show your ongoing support and will make them feel valued. It also gives them something to look forward to.

How can I be there for someone who's feeling suicidal?

Simple actions can help you be there for someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts or recovering from an attempt to take their own life. People who have felt suicidal will often say what a huge relief it was to be able to talk about what they were experiencing.

If someone is feeling suicidal, can I suggest they talk to a professional?

It's important to encourage them to seek professional support and know when to step back to look after themselves.
If you are feeling like ending your life or feel unable to keep yourself safe, please call 999 or go to A&E and ask for the contact of the nearest crisis resolution team. These are teams of mental health care professionals who work with people in severe distress. If you feel affected by the content you have read, please see our get help page for support.
References

¹ Cited from Supporting someone with suicidal thoughts, https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-worried-about-someo...

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There are things we can do if we're worried someone may be at risk of suicide. One thing that can really make a difference is talking.

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Support completing a suicide safety plan

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March 2023Practice Learning Framework Version 2.0 07 02 23 (002)

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Dementia symptoms and types of dementia | Age UK

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We can help you better understand dementia – including the common symptoms of dementia, the different types of dementia, and what you can do if you think you have dementia.

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Find out about dementia, including the symptoms, how to get a diagnosis, and how common dementia is.

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Validation therapy is a way to approach older adults with empathy and understanding. It is often used to comfort and reassure people who are living with Alzheimer's disease or another kind of dementia.

The basic idea behind validation therapy is that people who are in the late stages of life may have unresolved issues that drive their behaviors and emotions. The way caregivers or family members respond to these behaviors and emotions can either make them worse or help resolve them.

Validation therapy is more than simply validating a person's feelings, although that is one component of it. Validation therapy focuses on helping the person work through the emotions behind challenging behaviors. These behaviors are viewed essentially as a way to communicate those emotions, especially in people with memory loss, confusion, disorientation, and other symptoms of dementia.﻿﻿

Who Developed Validation Therapy?

Validation therapy was developed over time, between 1963 and 1980, by Naomi Feil. Her first book on validation was published in 1982. Feil is a social worker who grew up immersed in the care of older adults: her mother was a social worker, and her father was the administrator of a nursing home.﻿﻿

How to Use Validation Therapy

Imagine that your mother, who has Alzheimer's disease, lives with you in your home and frequently calls out for her own mother. According to the Validation Training Institute, people who practice validation therapy can use the following techniques in that situation:﻿﻿

Center Yourself

Take a deep breath and slow down. Your initial reaction may be to try to use logic when your own mother, who is 92 years old, starts calling out loudly for her mother. But before you react, think - and breathe.

Ask your mother what her mom was like, and what she misses about her. Share a memory about your grandmother with your mother, and allow her to express her loneliness.

Use Extremes

Ask her if she always misses her mother, or what she misses most about her mother. This can allow her to process those feelings of grief related to losing her mother.

Match and Express the Emotion

Join with your mother in her feelings. Acknowledge the sadness of losing her mother and the special relationship they had with each other.

Rephrasing her feelings back to her can provide reassurance that you understand and feel her loss. Saying "You must really miss your mother" can decrease her ​anxiety because she hears you expressing what she is feeling.

Ask questions about her mother. For example, ask about her favorite food that her mother cooked and how it smelled, or how pretty her mother looked all dressed up for church on Sunday mornings.

How Effective Is Validation Therapy?

Research is mixed when it comes to conclusions about the effectiveness of validation therapy. Different studies conducted on validation therapy have different conclusions, with some stating that it's effective, and others determining that it's no more helpful than a placebo. A couple of Cochrane Database Systemic Reviews conclude there's insufficient evidence to conclude that it's effective-not meaning that it's ineffective, but that there wasn't strong enough data to show that it is clearly helpful.﻿﻿

One study conducted in a long term care facility in Germany used a variation of validation therapy called integrated validation therapy developed by Nicole Richard. Integrated validation therapy prescribes certain attitudes and actions in response to the person's feelings and behaviors. Research found that agitation levels of residents were decreased with integrated validation therapy and that caregivers felt positive about its use with the residents.﻿﻿

In my clinical experience, there are many instances in which validation therapy has worked very well, and others where it did not, and only succeeded in irritating the person. Other clinicians tell of anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of validation therapy in decreasing challenging behaviors and emotional distress.

A Word From Verywell

While there's not a definite conclusion on how effective validation therapy is in treating dementia, it does appear that it may be a tool that's worth understanding and using in some circumstances, for some people. At a minimum, it can help caregivers remember to place themselves in the other person's situation, consider what it is that they're feeling or experiencing, and then respond with compassion.

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Using Validation Therapy for People With Dementia

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Learn what validation therapy consists of, how effective it is and how to use it to help people with Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia.

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Skip to content

It is important to be clear about who the formal safeguarding process applies to.

In this section we will define adult safeguarding. See our safeguarding children resource for information in that area.

The Care Act statutory guidance defines adult safeguarding as:

Protecting an adult's right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure that the adult's wellbeing is promoted including, where appropriate, having regard to their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action. This must recognise that adults sometimes have complex interpersonal relationships and may be ambivalent, unclear or unrealistic about their personal circumstances.

Introduction to safeguarding adults e-learning course

This definition hints at the challenges of safeguarding, but it is important to be clear about which adults we are discussing. A local authority must act when it has 'reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in its area (whether or not ordinarily resident there):

has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs),

is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and

as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.' (Care Act 2014, section 42)

So safeguarding is for people who, because of issues such as dementia, learning disability, mental ill-health or substance abuse, have care and support needs that may make them more vulnerable to abuse or neglect.

Who is at a higher risk?

People with care and support needs, such as older people or people with disabilities, are more likely to be abused or neglected. They may be seen as an easy target and may be less likely to identify abuse themselves or to report it.

People with communication difficulties can be particularly at risk because they may not be able to alert others.

Sometimes people may not even be aware that they are being abused, and this is especially likely if they have a cognitive impairment. Abusers may try to prevent access to the person they abuse.

Further reading from SCIE

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Skip to content It is important to be clear about who the formal safeguarding process applies to. In this section we will define adult safeguarding. See our safeguarding children resource for information in that area. The Care Act statutory guidance defines adult safeguarding as: Protecting an adult's right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.

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The Wales Safeguarding Procedures are an essential part of safeguarding children and adults; and promoting their welfare.

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If possible please complete before the end of the placement and send to your Assessor/ team lead

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Student Experience Evaluation Form (draft) July 2025

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Nursing & HCSW interventions update July 2025

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Hallucinations are where someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside their mind.
They're common in people with schizophrenia, and are usually experienced as hearing voices.

Hallucinations can be frightening, but there's usually an identifiable cause. For example, they can occur as a result of:

See your GP straight away if you're experiencing hallucinations. The recommended treatment options for hallucinations will depend on the underlying cause. For example, antipsychotic medication may help with hallucinations for people living with schizophrenia.

Hallucinations can make you feel nervous, paranoid and frightened, so it's important to be with someone you can trust.

The following information explains the typical types of hallucinations, including why they occur and what you can do.

It covers:

hearing voices

drug-induced hallucinations

hallucinations and sleep

hallucinations in children with a fever

Charles Bonnet syndrome

hallucinations in older people with delirium

Hallucinations can also occur as a result of extreme tiredness or recent bereavement. However, these and other rarer causes are not covered here.

Hearing voices

Hearing voices in the mind is the most common type of hallucination in people with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia. The voices can be critical, complimentary or neutral, and may make potentially harmful commands or engage the person in conversation. They may give a running commentary on the person's actions.

The experience is usually very distressing, but it's not always negative. Some people who hear voices are able to live with them and get used to them, or may consider them a part of their life.

It's not uncommon for recently bereaved people to hear voices, and this may sometimes be the voice of their loved one.

Practical advice

If you're hearing voices, discuss any concerns you have with your GP. If necessary, they'll refer you to a psychiatrist. This is important in determining whether you have a serious mental illness.

If your voices are due to schizophrenia, the earlier your treatment is started, the better the outcome.

You may also find the following advice helpful:

talk to other voice hearers - the Hearing Voices Network is a UK-based charity that can give you help and support, and put you in touch with other people in a similar situation to you

be open to discussing your voices

try to understand where the voices come from, why and what triggers them

The Mental Health Foundation has more information and practical advice about how to deal with hearing voices.

Drug-induced hallucinations

Illegal drugs and alcohol

People can experience hallucinations when they're high on illegal drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, LSD or ecstasy. They can also occur during withdrawal from alcohol or drugs if you suddenly stop taking them.

Drug-induced hallucinations are usually visual, but they may affect other senses. They can include flashes of light or abstract shapes, or they may take the form of an animal or person. More often, visual distortions occur that alter the person's perception of the world around them.

The hallucinations can occur on their own or as a part of drug-induced psychosis. After long-term drug use, they may cause schizophrenia.

Some people take cannabis to "calm themselves" and relieve their psychotic symptoms, without realising that in the longer term, the cannabis makes the psychosis worse.

Heavy alcohol use can also lead to psychotic states, hallucinations and dementia.

Find out how to get help for a drug problem.

Medication

Various prescription medicines can occasionally cause hallucinations. Elderly people may be at particular risk.

Hallucinations caused by medication can be dose-related and they usually stop when you stop taking the medicine. However, never stop taking a medicine without speaking to your doctor first and, if necessary, after being assessed by a psychiatrist.

Speak to your GP about how the medication is affecting you, so you can discuss the possibility of switching to another medicine.

Hallucinations and sleep

Some people experience hallucinations just as they're falling asleep (hypnagogic), or as they start to wake up (hypnopompic).

The hallucination may take the form of sounds, or the person may see things that don't exist, such as moving objects, or a formed image, such as a person (the person may think they've seen a ghost).

Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are particularly common in people with narcolepsy. However, they can also occur in people without narcolepsy or any disorder. They're essentially like dreams, and in themselves are nothing to worry about.

Hallucinations in children with a fever

Hallucinations can sometimes occur in children who are ill with a fever. Call your GP if your child is unwell with a body temperature of 38C or above and you think they're hallucinating.

In the meantime, stay calm, keep your child cool and reassure them. Encourage them to drink plenty of fluids and give them paracetamol or ibuprofen (always read the patient information leaflet to find out the correct dose and frequency for your child's age, and check they're not allergic to medicines you give). The hallucinations should pass after a few minutes.

Read more about fever in children.

Charles Bonnet syndrome

Some people with visual impairment may experience temporary visual hallucinations.

This is known as Charles Bonnet syndrome and it tends to affect older people who have started to lose their sight, although it can affect people of any age.

The hallucinations usually last for about 12 to 18 months and can take the form of simple, repeated patterns or complex images of people, objects or landscapes.

Some of the most common causes of visual impairment include:

age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - where the central part of the back of the eye (the macula, which plays an important role in central vision) stops working properly

cataracts - when changes in the lens of the eye cause it to become less transparent (clear)

glaucoma - where fluid builds up inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve (which relays information from the eye to the brain)

diabetic retinopathy - where blood vessels that supply the eye become damaged from a build-up of glucose

In the UK, around 100,000 people are thought to be affected by Charles Bonnet syndrome.

Hallucinations in older people with delirium

Hallucinations can sometimes occur in frail older people who are ill. The hallucinations may start before other signs that the person is unwell. They may be caused by a chest infection or urine infection, for example.

Call the GP or 111 if your elderly relative suddenly develops hallucinations, particularly if they appear unwell in any other way.

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Hallucinations are where someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside their mind. They're common in people with schizophrenia, and are usually experienced as hearing voices. Hallucinations can be frightening, but there's usually an identifiable cause. For example, they can occur as a result of: See your GP straight away if you're experiencing hallucinations.

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Welcome to the English Hearing Voices Network website. We are one of many similar networks around the world. If you’re looking for support in your own country check out Intervoice’s National Network list. The USA network can be found here: HVN USA

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Downloadable PDF fact sheets or ‘quick reads’ about hearing voices that summarise some of the key topics covered by Understanding Voices.

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behaviours

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Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised): The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the 'Changes to Legislation' area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

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An Act to make new provision relating to persons who lack capacity; to establish a superior court of record called the Court of Protection in place of the office of the Supreme Court called by that name; to make provision in connection with the Convention on the International Protection of Adults signed at the Hague on 13th January 2000; and for connected purposes.

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An Act to consolidate the law relating to mentally disordered persons.

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In most cases when people are treated in hospital or another mental health facility, they have agreed or volunteered to be there. But there are cases when a person can be detained, also known as sectioned, under the Mental Health Act (1983) and treated without their agreement.

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The arts, creativity and dementia

The impact of the arts on people with dementia is becoming increasingly significant. It can be a powerful way for people with dementia to not only express themselves but also stimulate their mind which can improve thinking ability.

Creative activities like painting and listening to musi can stimulate the brain. It can help people living with dementia to create a dialogue and provide them with an additional means to express themselves.

Painting

Painting has been found to be particularly valuable in helping people living with dementia to communicate in a non-verbal way, when verbal communication is more difficult, or lost. Similarly, painting and drawing can allow us to use their power of imagination which can make people living with dementia to feel more connected to the world and people around them.

Adult colouring books are popular for stress relief and can be found in craft shops or on online stores such as Amazon.

Music

Research suggests that listening to music or singing songs can provide emotional and behavioural benefits for people living with dementia. Musical memories are often preserved in dementia, when other types of memories are lost, because of the areas in the brain that are affected. Music has the power in all of us to relieve stress and reduce anxiety and depression, but also to be uplifting and joyous. In people living with dementia it can also have the effect of reducing agitation. You can work together to develop playlists, whether that be to help relaxation prior to bedtime, provide distraction when a person seems agitated, or to motivate them if they seem apathetic or listless. There are several things to consider when developing a personal playlist:

What kind of music does the person with dementia enjoy?

What music evokes memories of happy times in his or her life, or even the life you share together? It may be memories of music of when they went to dances, hymns at their wedding, a particular group/singer or band. This is an activity you can involve the wider family and friends in by asking them to suggest songs or to help you to make the playlists.

Music can also benefit family carers by reducing their own anxiety and distress levels, lighten your own mood as well as providing a way to connect especially when communication has become difficult.

Films

Watching films with a person with dementia can be another good way to stimulate a person with dementia and increase feelings of connectivity with the wider family. Whilst no experience of dementia is the same and families are best placed to know what kind of films would be most suitable for their relative with dementia, there are certain styles which can be broadly appealing. This can include films which do not have complex story lines, as well as films where there is a strong action, comedic or musical element.

Reading

Whether fiction or non-fiction, reading can be a great way to increase understanding as well as providing a useful activity with people with dementia to help stimulate and maintain connections.

For the last few years Dementia UK has been supporting the work of the Reading Agency who have initiated a number of useful projects about the importance and value of reading.

'Reading Well; Books on Prescription' provides a useful list of recommended books for both people with dementia and family carers, which aim to provide information and support. These books can be brought directly or you could even loan them in an e-book format.

For a person with dementia who is struggling to read, you can try reading to them. This can be a nice activity for children to do with their parent or grandparent. If there are any challenges in concentration, try short stories, poems or picture books. These can evoke memories and help start conversations, which can bring great pleasure and help the person reminisce.

For the carer, try and make sure you find time to relax and enjoy reading, if this is something you used to do. Making time for yourself is important as it will help sustain you and keep you going

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Meaningful activities for a person with dementia

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Head of Research and Publications at Dementia UK, Dr. Karen Harrison Dening, introduces this blog post pointing to why meaningful activities are so important for someone with dementia.

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What is stigma against dementia?

Stigma against dementia encompasses any negative attitude or discriminatory behaviour against people living with dementia, just on the basis of having the disease.

When a disease is as prevalent as dementia, yet still poorly understood, it's easy for false beliefs to spread. Left unchallenged, these beliefs perpetuate stigmatizing attitudes against people living with dementia, reducing their quality of life.

These attitudes extend to the families and caregivers of people living with dementia, affecting them as well.

The unfortunate reality is that any person living with dementia is very likely to encounter stigma - even though dementia can affect anyone. No one is immune to the risks of dementia, and there is no cure or treatment that can guarantee prevention.

People living with dementia did not choose to have this disease, and they certainly don't appreciate being labelled and ignored, among other negative responses, due to their diagnosis.

Stigma takes many forms

There are many ways that stigma can negatively impact the lives of people living with dementia, their families and their caregivers:

Lack of awareness about dementia

Harmful and misleading assumptions

Negative language

Belittlement and jokes

No support after diagnosis

Stigma by association

Loss of self-worth

People living with dementia are experiencing stigma right now

Even though more than half a million Canadians live with dementia, many feel excluded, ignored and treated differently for something beyond their control.

If you know a person living with dementia, chances are they've experienced discrimination that they wouldn't have faced if they didn't have dementia.

Sadly, while most Canadians acknowledge that dementia is a serious disease, and that people living with dementia are likely to experience discrimination, attitudes that reinforce stigma against dementia are still common.

Together, we can fight the impact of stigma

Positive change starts with learning. When you know the facts behind dementia, you will be able to challenge assumptions and false beliefs when they appear. By sharing your knowledge, you can reduce the negative impact of stigma against people living with dementia, families and caregivers.

Click the link below to learn about direct action you can take to fight stigma against dementia, or keep scrolling down to learn more about the many initiatives that are reducing stigma against dementia in Canada.

People living with dementia are sharing their experiences with stigma

There is perhaps no better way to know what stigma is than to listen to the people who have experienced it firsthand.

Every January, the Alzheimer Society supports Alzheimer's Awareness Month. We encourage you to visit ilivewithdementia.ca to read the stories of people living with dementia, families and caregivers. Let them help you understand what it's like to live with dementia and face stigma.

Canada needs to do more to fight stigma

Stigma doesn't just happen on a personal level - negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviours can be reinforced on a systemic level, too.

That's why it's important that Canadians support the first-ever national dementia strategy, which will take concrete action to eliminate stigma and support dementia-friendly communities throughout the country.

An effective, fully-funded strategy will also improve standards of care for people living with dementia. This is especially vital for people living with dementia receiving support and treatment in hospitals and long-term care homes.

People living with dementia have a right to be free from discrimination

The Alzheimer Society worked with people living with dementia to launch the first-ever Canadian Charter of Rights for People with Dementia.

Among the seven explicit rights of the Charter, the first right is the right to to be free from discrimination of any kind.

We need to build a dementia-friendly Canada now

People living with dementia want to live as well as possible and participate in their communities - but stigma often remains a barrier. You can help remove this barrier by helping your community become dementia-friendly.

Dementia-Friendly Canada is an initiative that will create tools, education and programming that will allow for the development of dementia-friendly communities across the Canada.

More useful links and resources

2017 Awareness survey executive summary. Alzheimer Society of Canada, 2017. We surveyed over 1,500 Canadians to measure their attitudes and perceptions of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Read the results.

ilivewithdementia.ca. Alzheimer Society, 2020. Part of Alzheimer's Awareness Month, this microsite lets you read the stories of people living with dementia, families and caregivers. You can also learn more about stigma and find the closest Alzheimer Society to you.

This digital learning experience was developed by the research team of Dr. Pia Kontos, Dr. Sherry Dupuis, Dr. Gail J. Mitchell and Dr. Christine Jonas-Simpson. It is a free, interactive educational tool about stigma associated with dementia and how this can be challenged to support people to live well with dementia.

Flipping Stigma Toolkit. Flipping Stigma Action Group and Centre for Research on Personhood in Dementia research team, 2022. Designed by people living with dementia, the people who support them, and those who do research to address the challenges of stigma and discrimination.

How can we include people with dementia in our community? Freedem Films, 2013. If you have been diagnosed with dementia you need a community that is inclusive, understanding and friendly. This video was created by Dr. Sabina Brennan of Trinity College Dublin and Trinity Brain Health. Permission to use this video was granted by Trinity Brain Health, which reserves all rights.

Jim's Story - Dementia Friendly Communities. City of Vancouver, 2015. The City of Vancouver is working in partnership with the Alzheimer Society to build inclusive dementia-friendly communities. Jim Mann, who has been living with dementia for eight years, shares his experience.

World Alzheimer Report 2012: Overcoming the stigma of dementia. Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI). This global-focused report highlights ten key recommendations to overcome the stigma of dementia. It also shares results from a global survey on stigma conducted with people living with dementia and caregivers.

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Stigma is one of the biggest barriers for people living with dementia to live fully with dignity and respect. Help us fight stigma by learning more about its effects and taking steps to reduce its impact.

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Myths and misconceptions about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia abound: what it is, who gets it, and how it affects the people who have it. These myths stand in the way of understanding the disease and helping those affected.

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Here see the induction pack for the team.

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Reporting Sickness Cardiff University Protocol 

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Reporting Sickness Cardiff University Protocol 

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Student absence escalation flowchart 2025

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Here see infromation around ECg and understanding the information they provide

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Behavioural activation is a treatment for depression that has been found to be very effective

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Behavioral activation is a treatment for depression that has been found to be very effective, even for clients who have not had success with other approaches. Researchers have found behavioral activation to be on par with medication and slightly superior to cognitive therapy in the treatment of depression. Behavioral activation shifts away from cognitions and feelings to focus on a client's behavior and environment. This treatment guide presents an overview of the technique's theoretical underpinnings, it describes how to use behavioral activation with clients, and it provides the tools you'll need, including worksheets and video.

Theory

The behavioral activation model suggests that negative life events such as grief, trauma, daily stressors, or a genetic predisposition to depression can lead to a person having too little positive reinforcement. Additionally, a person might turn to unhealthy behaviors--drug use, sleeping late into the afternoon, social withdrawal, etc.--in an attempt to avoid the negative feelings. These behaviors provide temporary relief, but ultimately result in more negative outcomes, and worsening depression.

When using behavioral activation, a clinician intervenes in two primary ways: They increase the amount of positive reinforcement a person experiences, and they end negative behavior patterns that cause depression to worsen. Replacing negative avoidant behaviors with new rewarding behaviors increases a person's positive reinforcement and reduces negative reinforcement.

Using Behavioral Activation

Educating Clients

The goal of behavioral activation might seem simple (just replace negative behaviors with positive alternatives), but its implementation in real life comes with challenges. Imagine being in immense pain and having a tool that allows you to immediately relieve that pain. Now, imagine you have a tool that you hear will help more in the long run, but it isn't going to relieve the pain you're experiencing right now. Behavioral activation is the tool that will help in the long-run, but there won't be any instant relief. Unhealthy avoidant behaviors are the tools that provides instant relief, but ultimately do more harm than good. Because the goals of behavioral activation can be unclear to a client, education is an important first step.

Clients who do not understand the reasoning behind behavioral activation are unlikely to be motivated to follow through. How is going out with friends or going for a walk going to help in the long-run when they still feel miserable doing these things? Why shouldn't they stay home in bed when that's the one thing that makes them feel better? It's the clinician's job to help a client recognize how their avoidant behavior (in this example, staying at home in bed) is causing their depression to worsen. This requires a clinician to listen, pinpoint negative behavior patterns, and collaborate with a client to figure out how they can be damaging. It can be helpful to draw a quick diagram, as shown below.

Developing Positive Replacement Behaviors

After educating a client about behavioral activation and identifying some negative behavior patterns, the next step is to come up with some positive replacement behaviors. This can't be emphasized enough: The positive replacements should be both easy and rewarding. Someone who is depressed might have a hard time getting out of bed by noon and brushing their teeth, let alone waking up at 6 AM, creating a résumé, or running a 10K. It can be helpful to create a list of positive rewarding behaviors, and rank them from 1 to 10 in the areas of ease and reward. Below are two worksheets to help with the process.

Implementing the Behavioral Activation Plan

Next, the clinician should work with their client to plan how and when when to complete their positive replacement behaviors. This means talking about possible obstacles, scheduling times for activities throughout the week, and deciding how the client will remember to follow through with their plan. Be specific. Don't let a client say "I'll do something on Thursday" and leave it at that. What will they do on Thursday? When exactly? How will they remember? Here's how the conversation might look.

Therapist: "What might stop you from going for a walk this week?"

Client: "Well, it might be rainy or cold... I guess I could go to the gym if that's the case."

Therapist: "Good idea! If you schedule your walking, you'll be more likely to follow through. What time can you do this?"

Client: "Right after dinner will be best--about 6:30."

Therapist: "Last question: How are you going to remember to do this? Could you leave yourself a note or set an alarm?"

Client: "Sure, I'll set an alarm on my phone right now."

Therapist: "Perfect! Remember, when the time comes, you might want to skip your walk and stay home. It's important that you push through that feeling and go."

One of the best tools for helping a client follow through with their behavioral activation plan is social support. Ask the client to choose a friend who they are comfortable talking to about their plan, and see if the friend will help encourage them. It can be helpful for the clinician to check in on a client and their plan, especially if there's a long gap between sessions.

The clinician's job doesn't end once the client begins to initiate their plan. At the beginning of every session the clinician should ask about how the client's plan is going to highlight its importance. The client's successes should be met with praise, and failures should be addressed with problem-solving. Maybe the planned activity wasn't a good fit (Was it rewarding? Was it easy?), or maybe the client just forgot to do it. If a client was successful, they should be reminded that this is a long-term project and they need to continue the following week. When motivation and mood start to improve, begin transitioning to more challenging positive activities with long-term payoffs (but don't totally neglect the easy and rewarding stuff).

That's it-you're finally done! If necessary, a client may be more able to move on and address things like negative cognitions at this point in treatment, but that's another beast altogether. Below we've included a video to further drive home some of the more important points of behavioral activation. Good luck out there, fighting the good fight against mental illness!

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Behavioral Activation (Guide) | Therapist Aid

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Behavioral activation is a treatment for depression that has been found to be very effective, even for clients who have not had success with other approaches. Researchers have found behavioral activation to be on par with medication and slightly superior to cognitive therapy in the treatment of depression.

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Interventions to support those with dementia when distressed

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De-escalation and Calming Techniques for People Living with Dementia — Tunstall Healthcare

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Explore practical de-escalation and calming techniques for managing aggressive behaviours in people living with dementia. Enhance care quality today.

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This can be a useful tool for carers to use to support in building a rapport with residents in their care

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‘Read about Me’ toolkit for carers and healthcare workers - Dementia Friendly Cardiff

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ACE III training

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Register for the ACE-III Trainer

Please complete the following registration form.
Required fields are marked '*'
Please ensure your email address is accurate as it will be used to send you confirmation of registration.
The confirmation e-mail will be sent within an hour of registration.

Download Privacy Notice

You can copy or reproduce the information in this e-learning resource for use in NHS Scotland and for non-commercial educational purposes. Use of this e-learning resource for commercial purposes is permitted only with the written permission of NES.

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Please complete the following registration form. Required fields are marked '*' Please ensure your email address is accurate as it will be used to send you confirmation of registration. The confirmation e-mail will be sent within an hour of registration.

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Principles-RSocial Services & Wellbeing ACT

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Services & Signpost For Information on Mental Well-being 

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Services & Signpost For Information on Mental Well-being 

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We will always ensure that, should medication be required, you receive the most suitable and effective type for your condition. We will always discuss the options with you and endeavour to make you aware of any side effects. However, we will always advise that you read the medication information leaflet first.

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Mental Capacity Act - Social care and support guide

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Find out what the Mental Capacity Act is and what it means for you.

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How to make decisions under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers people in England and Wales who can't make some or all decisions for themselves. The ability to understand and make a decision when it needs to be made is called 'mental capacity'.

Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice

People working with or caring for adults who lack capacity to make decisions for themselves have a legal duty to consider the Code of Practice.

Advice workers

Health and care workers

Independent Mental Capacity Advocate services

Independent Mental Capacity Advocate services can support the views and rights of people who lack mental capacity.

Make decisions under the Mental Capacity Act

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How to make decisions under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

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Non-pharmacological interventions in dementia | Advances in Psychiatric Treatment | Cambridge Core

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Non-pharmacological interventions in dementia - Volume 10 Issue 3

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Evidence-based recommendations for the health and social care sector, developed by independent committees, including professionals and lay members, and consulted on by stakeholders.

Browse guidance

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Find guidance, advice and information for health, public health and social care professionals.

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The NICE British National Formulary (BNF) site is only available to users in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

If you are outside the UK, you can access BNF content by subscribing to Medicines Complete.

If you believe you are seeing this page in error, please contact us.

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The NICE British National Formulary (BNF) site is only available to users in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

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WHO fact sheet on dementia providing key facts and information on signs and symptoms, rates, risk factors, social and economic impacts, human rights, WHO response.

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Practice placements

Practice placements are an essential part of nursing programme and will equip you with the skills needed for a successful nursing career. In line with standard 2 of the RCN Nursing Workforce Standards, all nursing students must be supernumerary when on placement.

Placements are arranged by your university. When allocating placements they will take into account your circumstances such as where you live, whether you have dependants, and whether you have access to a car. Your university will have placement information online or in your student handbook. In it, you'll find information about claiming expenses, supervision and assessment arrangements, and what to do if you cannot attend your placement.

You may have the opportunity to go on an elective placement overseas - this will give you invaluable experience.

Raising concerns about placements

A lot of your time as a student will be spent on placement and seeing the theory being put into practice can raise many questions.

In addition, organisations must have effective procedures in place to allow nursing staff - including students - and their representatives to raise any concerns in relation to equipment, policies and processes for managing COVID-19 at the earliest opportunity. This could include concerns relating to in relation to unsustainable pressures in the workplace as well as equipment, policies and processes for managing COVID-19.

Students should feel able to raise concerns without detriment and should receive timely feedback on their concerns. If your concerns remain unresolved, refer to:

If you have concerns while undertaking your placement, firstly speak with your practice supervisor/assessor or your academic assessor . This can include any difficulties you may experience due to unsustainable pressures impacting on your placement. Also, read your placement or student handbook to find out how to deal with these difficulties.

You can also see our Raising Concerns guidance for members.

Contact us if you have followed your university's guidance and the problem still exists.

Failures, resits and appeals

If you fail your practice assessment, you should have been made aware of your development needs earlier in the placement.

You are entitled to additional time to address your learning and practice needs if you did not receive a mid-point interview or feedback about your need to develop.

If you fail an assignment, placement or examination, you would usually be offered an opportunity to re-sit.

If you still fail to meet the required standard following the attempts allowed under the course regulations, you can consider an academic appeal.

You can't appeal against academic judgement, but you could appeal if you believe that the judgement was not made fairly or in line with university process. You would need to follow your university's academic appeal regulations.

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Student nurses | Advice guides | Royal College of Nursing

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Advice guide for student nurses including re-sits, appeals, complaints, placements, working as an HCA, raising concerns and accountability.

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Resources for students - The Nursing and Midwifery Council

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The NMC Website, NMC Online and our other online services will be unavailable from 07:15 to 10:00 on Saturday 20 January whilst we carry out essential maintenance. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.