NZQA registered unit standard
23923 version 6
Page 1 of 4
Title
Demonstrate knowledge of behaviour presented by people living with
dementia in a health or wellbeing setting
Level
4
Purpose
Credits
4
This unit standard is for people providing services in a health or
wellbeing setting.
People credited with this unit standard are able to demonstrate
knowledge of behaviour presented by 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
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 8134.2:2008 Health and disability services Standards – Health and disability
services (restraint minimisation and safe practice) 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.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
3
23923 version 6
Page 2 of 4
Definitions
A communication partner is a person who the person living with dementia prefers to
communicate with. This person may be a spouse, family/whānau member, staff
member, or friend.
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.
National standard refers to NZS 8134.2:2008 Health and disability services
Standards – Health and disability services (restraint minimisation and safe practice)
Standards.
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.
Restraint is the use of any intervention by a service provider that limits a consumer’s
normal freedom of movement, and can be personal, physical, environmental, or
seclusion (NZS 8134.0:2008).
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
Demonstrate knowledge of behaviour presented by people living with dementia in a health
or wellbeing setting.
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
23923 version 6
Page 3 of 4
Evidence requirements
1.1
Behaviour presented by people living with dementia is described in relation to
common examples.
common examples may include – wandering, sundowning,
aggressive behaviour, rummaging, hoarding, catastrophic
reactions, disinhibitions, sexually inappropriate behaviour;
evidence is required of four examples.
Range
1.2
Behaviour presented by people living with dementia is described in relation to
factors that may trigger and influence behaviour.
factors may include but are not limited to – changes in the brain,
environment, approach by other people, dealing with losses,
dealing with loss and grief, physical needs, cultural factors,
sensory issues, anxiety, service limitations, medication, challenges
to self esteem and dignity, infection, life experiences, premorbid
personality;
evidence is required of six factors.
Range
1.3
Strategies to positively manage behaviour are applied when supporting people
living with dementia.
strategies may include but are not limited to – behavioural
strategies (diversion), individualised personal plans, safe social
and physical environment, avoidance of triggers, time out,
communication techniques, staff education and training,
debriefing, stress management, keeping a behaviour log to identify
trends and patterns, complementary therapies;
evidence is required for six strategies each for two different
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 2012
Revision
2
21 January 2011
31 December 2012
Revision
3
21 July 2011
31 December 2017
Revision
4
16 February 2012
31 December 2017
Review
5
18 June 2015
31 December 2017
Review
6
19 November 2015
N/A
Community Support Services ITO Limited
SSB Code 101814
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
23923 version 6
Page 4 of 4
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.
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 ITO 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