NZQA registered unit standard
23921 version 3
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Title
Provide person-centred support to people living with dementia in a
health or wellbeing setting
Level
4
Purpose
Credits
6
This unit standard is for people providing services in a health or
wellbeing setting.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: provide
support; observe and respond to changes and/or symptoms in
people; and describe possible barriers to communication and
use communication skills to interact with people living with
dementia in a health or wellbeing setting.
Classification
Health, Disability, and Aged Support > Older Persons' Health
and Wellbeing
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
1
2
3
Legislation and standards relevant to this unit standard include:
Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services
Consumers’ Rights) Regulations 1996 (the Code of Rights);
Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Human Rights Act 1993;
Privacy Act 1993;
Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988;
NZS 8134.0:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (general) Standard;
NZS 8134.1:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (core) Standards;
NZS 8158:2012 Home and Community Support Sector Standard;
SNZ HB 8134.5:2005 Health and Disability Sector Standards – Proposed Audit
Workbook and Guidance for Residential Services for People with Dementia;
SNZ HB 8134.6:2006 Best Practice Guidance for Community Services for People
with Dementia and Proposed Audit Workbook;
SNZ HB 8163:2005 Indicators for Safe Aged-care and Dementia-care for
Consumers; available at http://www.standards.co.nz/.
Candidates’ practice must reflect appropriate values, processes, and protocols in
relation to working with Māori and Pacific peoples and/or people from other cultures,
in a range of settings and environments.
Definitions
Condition – a state relating to a person’s health and functional status usually related
to a specific illness, disease, or disability. Examples include but are not limited to –
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
23921 version 3
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asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic wounds, congestive
heart failure and/or other heart conditions, depression, diabetes, epilepsy,
hypertension, multiple sclerosis, obesity, Parkinson’s disease, respiratory disease,
stroke, other complex, terminal, and/or life limiting condition.
Dementia is a term that covers a group of different illnesses with a progressive and
irreversible loss of mental functioning resulting in a decline in the person’s ability to
think, reason, and remember. A feature of dementia is the individual and changing
nature of the cognitive, functional, behavioural, and psychological effects that occur.
Health or wellbeing setting includes but is not limited to the – aged care, acute care,
community support, disability, mental health, and social services sectors.
Health professional refers to a person who is registered with an authority (which is
appointed by or under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003) as
a practitioner of a particular health profession to deliver health services in
accordance with a defined scope of practice.
Organisational policies and procedures – policies, procedures, and methodologies of
an organisation. They include legislative and regulatory requirements which may
apply across a company, a specific site, or a workplace. Requirements are
documented in the company’s health and safety plans, contract work programmes,
quality assurance programmes, policies, and procedural documents.
Person – a person accessing services. Other terms used for the person may include
client, consumer, customer, patient, individual, resident, service user, tūroro, or
tangata whai ora.
Personal plan – a generic term that covers the individual or group plans (which may
also be referred to by other names) that are developed for people receiving support
(and may include their family/whānau as appropriate).
Person-centred approach – an approach which places the person being supported at
the centre by encouraging participation and choice, and viewing them as an
individual with unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences, and needs. A
person-centred approach for a person living with dementia focuses on relationships,
communication, and the individuality of the person living with dementia. It also
focuses on the needs, feelings, and abilities that are retained by the person living
with dementia.
Service delivery models or approaches to support refer to philosophies of consumer
support that may be applied within a health or disability setting. A service delivery
model or approach provides an over-arching set of underlying principles, aims and
objectives, operational parameters, and reviewable outcomes which direct the nature
of consumer care and the manner in which it is provided.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Provide support for people living with dementia in a health or wellbeing setting.
Range
evidence is required for two different people.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Support is provided using a person-centred approach, and in accordance with
the person’s personal plan and the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
1.2
Assistance with personal daily living activities is in accordance with the person’s
personal plan and the organisation’s policies and procedures.
Range
1.3
assistance with personal daily living activities includes but is not
limited to – personal hygiene cares, grooming needs, urinary
elimination, bowel elimination, nutrition and fluid needs, mobility
needs, comfort, rest, sleep.
Support assists a person living with dementia to engage in activities in
accordance with the person’s personal plan and the organisation’s policies and
procedures.
Range
1.4
23921 version 3
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activities may include but is not limited to – daily routines,
employment, hobbies, sport, social activities, family/whānau.
Routine observations and/or clinical tasks are performed under the direction
and delegation of a health professional in accordance with the candidate’s role
and responsibilities in a multidisciplinary team and organisational policies and
procedures.
Range
observations may include but are not limited to – systolic and
diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose, temperature, oxygen
status, heart rate, weight management, special observations;
clinical tasks may include but are not limited to – wound
management, bowel management, administering medication,
catheter care, nebuliser use, oxygen administration;
evidence is required of four observations and/or clinical tasks for
each person being supported.
Outcome 2
Observe and respond to changes and/or symptoms in people living with dementia in a
health or wellbeing setting.
Range
evidence is required for two different people.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Changes in the person’s condition and/or symptoms are observed, recorded,
and reported in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
2.2
Strategies used to respond to changes in the person’s condition and/or
symptoms are applied under the direction and delegation provided by a health
professional and in accordance with the person’s personal plan and
organisational policies and procedures.
Range
strategies may include but are not limited to – risk management,
communication, information provision;
evidence is required of one strategy in response to one change
and/or symptom for each person being supported.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
23921 version 3
Page 4 of 5
Outcome 3
Describe possible barriers to communication, and use communication skills to interact with
people living with dementia in a health or wellbeing setting.
Range
evidence is required for two different people.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Communication with a person living with dementia is described in terms of
possible barriers to communication.
barriers may include but are not limited to – changes in the brain,
sensory losses, communication partner, health status,
environment, culture, age, gender, reverting to original language,
expressive and receptive communication, dealing with loss and
grief;
evidence is required of four possible barriers.
Range
3.2
Communication skills used to interact with a person living with dementia are in
accordance with the person’s personal plan and organisational policies and
procedures.
communication skills may include but are not limited to – use of
simple, clear, step-by-step, verbal and non-verbal instructions;
avoidance of coercion and patronisation; promotion of wellbeing
and minimisation of stress and anxiety; use of face-to-face
individualised approach to achieve partnership and participation;
having a communication partner;
evidence is required of skills used to support two people.
Range
Planned review date
31 December 2020
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
20 March 2008
31 December 2017
Revision
2
21 January 2011
31 December 2017
Review
3
18 June 2015
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0024
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
23921 version 3
Page 5 of 5
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMRs). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Community Support Services Industry Training Organisation Limited
info@careerforce.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit
standard.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016