- An undergraduate course
in
Health and Social Care.
Dementia care
- On this page
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | K235 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 2 |
| SCQF level | 8 |
| FHEQ level | 5 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | |
| No residential school | |
The rising number of people with dementia and the issue of how care is delivered make this course of interest to anyone involved with dementia care. You will study the impact of this increase; the importance of understanding diversity; current thinking about possible causes and cures; how care is delivered in a residential setting and what it means to improve the management of care. You will also consider ethical dilemmas raised by caring for people with dementia including end-of-life decisions. Real accounts from people affected by dementia, their family members and carers, enrich this highly interactive course.
Modules at Level 2 assume that you are suitably prepared for study at this level. If you want to take a single module to satisfy your career development needs or pursue particular interests, you don’t need to start at Level 1 but you do need to have adequately prepared yourself for OU study in some other way. Check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service to make sure that you are sufficiently prepared.
Register for the course
What you will study
This course addresses the pressing need to develop skills in understanding and caring for people with dementia. You will study what dementia is and the experience of living with dementia; how cultures of residential care can be improved to put the needs of people with dementia at the centre of care; and some of the difficult issues that arise for people with dementia near the end of their life.
This course addresses the following key themes:
- the extent to which dementia has become a medical problem and attitudes to people with dementia
- the meaning of identity and personhood and how this impacts on the sense of loss associated with dementia
- the way in which cultures of care frame the experience of living with dementia
- the social, practical, clinical and ethical dimensions of decision-making about dementia care.
The course is divided into three blocks of study and each unit of the blocks comprises one week of study.
In Block 1 – Context of care – you will study the meaning of dementia and its impact at a personal level and the profile of the population of people with dementia. This includes the physical changes that take place in the brain; how different types of dementia produce different symptoms; and any interventions that are available for people with dementia, including the way that space can be designed for better living. You will also study the relationship between identity and memory, the impact of dementia on relationships and how people with dementia might be stigmatised.
In Block 2 – Managing care – you will use key ideas of ‘cultures of care’ to analyse what is happening in a series of filmed programmes in which businessman Sir Gerry Robinson asks how the care home industry can be ‘fixed’. You consider the constraints on better care and at what level you might influence change. The principles used in evaluating the quality of care in the homes featured in these broadcasts also apply to other care settings.
Block 3 – Making dementia care decisions – defines and applies the principles of what it means to be a person and how the choices that people with dementia can make are compromised. The block also considers who has the right to make choices for other people if their capacity is compromised and what this means at the end of life. Central to this block is a three-episode drama about a man with dementia. It is accompanied by a panel debate about the choices that are available to him, his family and carers and how choices are affected by the context within which they happen. During your study of this unit you are asked to take the perspective of the person with dementia when you are considering his needs.
This course has a large proportion of audio and visual material which provides you with a range of real stories from people affected by dementia.
Entry
This is a Level 2 course. Although you don’t need to have a good knowledge of the subject area, you do need the study skills to study at this level, obtained either through Level 1 study with the OU, or by doing equivalent work at another university.
Our key introductory Level 1 course An introduction to health and social care (K101) would be ideal preparation.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
If you have a disability
Written transcripts of any audio components are available, as are printable versions of the online text based material. Some online material may not be fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical and scientific materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you have particular study requirements please tell us as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Visit our Services for disabled students website for more information, including:
- help to determine your study requirements and how to request the support that you need
- Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)
- using a computer for OU study
- equipment and other support services that we offer
- examination arrangements
- how to contact us for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
This course and all the associated study material is presented online with no print material except a printed Module Guide which will give you guidance on how to get started.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.6 or later.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2013. We expect it to be available once a year.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button.
Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor or study adviser will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information read Distance learning explained.
Undergraduate
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | K235 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 2 |
| SCQF level | 8 |
| FHEQ level | 5 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | |
| No residential school | |
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