Suzanne Cahill - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Suzanne Cahill

This paper has been prepared for the Peer Review on ?Improving reconciliation of work and long-te... more This paper has been prepared for the Peer Review on ?Improving reconciliation of work and long-term care?. It provides a comparative assessment of the policy example of the Host Country and the situation in Ireland. The content of the paper is based on the independent expert?s views and does not necessarily represent the views of the author?s affiliated institutions. For information on the host country policy example, please refer to the Host Country Discussion Paper

The National Dementia Office, Sep 21, 2020

Dementia and human rights

This chapter addresses the topic of the everyday human rights and fundamental freedoms many of us... more This chapter addresses the topic of the everyday human rights and fundamental freedoms many of us take for granted but are often denied when a person develops dementia. These include the right to, when worried about our health obtain a medical diagnosis and be advised about this by a qualified primary care physician; the right to post diagnostic services including rehabilitation based on a multi-disciplinary assessment and the right to live in the community including a dementia friendly community and participate fully in all aspects of its civil social, economic and political life. The human rights issues directly relevant to the topics discussed in this chapter include Article 12 (equal recognition before the law), Article 25 (health services and early diagnosis), Article 26 (early rehabilitation based on a multi-disciplinary assessment and Article 19 (independent living and social inclusion).

The paper explores the diagnosis of dementia; what the current practice is in Ireland; a descript... more The paper explores the diagnosis of dementia; what the current practice is in Ireland; a description of common standardised instruments for cognitive assessment; an overview of practices in other parts of the world and based on the evidence, some actions for consideration.

Publikationsansicht. 36084604. "I wish I could have hung on longer" : the choices and d... more Publikationsansicht. 36084604. "I wish I could have hung on longer" : the choices and dilemmas of dementia care (1996). Cahill, Suzanne. Abstract. Includes bibliography. Details der Publikation. Herausgeber, [St. Lucia, Qld.]. Archiv, NDLTD Union Catalog (United States). ...

Dementia, 2019

During the early 21st century, human rights have become increasingly pertinent to dementia studie... more During the early 21st century, human rights have become increasingly pertinent to dementia studies, simultaneously promoted through advocacy movements and the critical tradition. It is in this context that Dementia and Human Rights is best understood, as an attempt to establish some conceptual solidity within a relatively embryonic area of dementia scholarship. Cahill identifies a broad readership-policy-makers, health and social care professionals, students of many related disciplines and people affected by dementia-but the dementia studies and advocacy communities probably have the most to gain from this text and will undoubtedly find the contents deeply stimulating. The book has two parts. Part one outlines a "conceptual framework," while part two applies the resulting "human rights lens" to policy and practice. Opening chapter one, Cahill champions the potential for a rights-based approach to improve understandings of dementia and identifies the book's major intellectual influences: disability studies, social constructionism, critical social gerontology and human rights. Chapter two reviews the biomedical, social and biopsychosocial models of both disability and dementia to argue that dementia is a disability. The chapter concludes with some consideration of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Cahill argues that, despite the CRPD omitting "cognitive impairment," dementia falls under the convention by virtue of its characteristic impairments. Chapter three progresses to outline the CRPD's development, influences, aims and articles, before highlighting several recent political initiatives toward a disability rights approach to dementia. Part two begins with chapter four, centring on non-institutional care by focusing on the rights to equal legal recognition, early diagnosis, rehabilitation and independent living in the community. Chapter five turns to institutional care by considering the rights to freedom from mistreatment, privacy, environmental accessibility and meaningful participation. Both chapters outline examples of progress in realising those rights, alongside the many ways in which they are contravened. Chapter six considers the emerging impact of human rights in dementia-specific policy and practice, advocating a strengthening of this influence. Chapter seven, written by Eilion oir Flynn, returns in greater depth to the issue of legal recognition. The portrayal of the topic is outstanding, a must-read for anybody interested in capacity. Chapter eight concludes the book on a positive note, suggesting several ways in which dementia rights are likely to be strengthened over coming years.

Dementia and Human Rights, 2018

This chapter provides an introduction to the topic of human rights and dementia. It briefly trace... more This chapter provides an introduction to the topic of human rights and dementia. It briefly traces the history of the human rights movement and discusses the significance of the UN Declaration on Human Rights (1948) and how the latter has helped shape other human rights treaties including the UN Convention on the rights of people with disabilities. The latter is a tool which will be used as a compass for analysis throughout the book. The chapter differentiates between human rights and human needs. It critically reviews negative and positive rights in the context of people living with dementia and describes the three generation of rights all people possess by virtue of being human. It argues for the application of a rights based framework to be used by practitioners in dementia care and points to the usefulness of using a social justice /rights based lens to interrogate dementia, extend the contemporary debate and ultimately attempt to improve quality of life and quality of care for ...

Dementia and Human Rights

This chapter will be used to highlight the key contribution this book makes to the field of demen... more This chapter will be used to highlight the key contribution this book makes to the field of dementia care policy and practice, as well as identifying some of its limitations. Returning to the core themes consolidated in the UN Convention and introduced in chapter three namely equality autonomy participation and solidarity and based on the topics reviewed in earlier chapters, the chapter points to the gaps that exist between the rhetoric of policy initiatives and the reality of peoples’ everyday lives and the further gap that can exist between policy objectives and research evidence. The chapter argues for a need for much more budgetary and political attention to be focused on dementia and for future iterations of dementia strategies to take cognizance of human rights issues. Human rights legislation rather than being seen as punitive and burdensome should be viewed as a critical framework for guiding all levels of action with people with dementia and their family members.

Ageing and Society

The biomedical model has traditionally informed the dominant discourse on dementia and has signif... more The biomedical model has traditionally informed the dominant discourse on dementia and has significantly shaped practitioners’, policy makers’ and researchers’ responses. This model contextualises dementia as a progressive neuro-degenerative cognitive disorder and focuses on deficits and underlying pathology, often overlooking the fact that the person can and should be an active partner in the treatment process. Beginning in the late 1990s, the exclusive reliance on the bio-medical model has come under increasing scrutiny with a growing awareness that by recasting dementia in broader social and more humanitarian terms, much can be done to promote the individual's quality of life. Different frameworks and analytical tools have been forwarded to help us better understand dementia. These include personhood, citizenship, public health, disability and human rights. This review examines the merits of framing dementia as a disability, a citizenship concern and a human rights issue. It ...

The aim of this study was to contribute to improving quality of life for people with end stage de... more The aim of this study was to contribute to improving quality of life for people with end stage dementia living in residential care settings by investigating the experiences of elderly spouses whose relatives had recently died with end-stage dementia in nursing homes in both Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (RoI). In addition, from the data collected, guidelines will be drafted for delivery of quality care in end stage dementia in long stay residential institutions. The drafted guidelines will then be circulated to a multi-disciplinary group of health service professionals across Ireland (four health service professionals in NI and four in RoI) and their views on the guidelines sought.

Dementia, 2021

Introduction Many family carers, particularly those caring for people with dementia, report signi... more Introduction Many family carers, particularly those caring for people with dementia, report significant personal and social challenges associated with caring. The aim of this article is to identify the range of challenges experienced by family carers of people with dementia and to ascertain their preferences for various supports and services that address those challenges. Method Three modified nominal group technique (NGT) focus groups were conducted with family carers of people with dementia. The NGT groups were conducted with 17 participants in two stages, focusing separately on personal and social domains. Family carers identified challenges and individually ranked preferences for both existing and new services and supports. Data analysis consisted of qualitative content analysis and summative scoring of individual rankings. Findings Family carers identified the following personal-level challenges: needing a break, social isolation and relationship changes. Family carers’ combine...

Dementia and human rights, 2018

Launching the dementia debate into new and exciting territory, this book applies a human rights l... more Launching the dementia debate into new and exciting territory, this book applies a human rights lens to interrogate the lived experience and policy response to dementia.

Journal of Family Studies, 1998

Page 1. "The Only One You Neglect is Yourself": Health Outcomes for Carers of Spouses o... more Page 1. "The Only One You Neglect is Yourself": Health Outcomes for Carers of Spouses or Parents with Dementia. Do Wives and Daughter Carers Differ? Suzanne M.Cahill and Margaret M. Shapiro School of Social Work and Social Policy, The University of Queensland ...

Authors Aida Suarez-Gonzalez, Gill Livingston, Lee-Fay-Low, Suzanne Cahill, Niamh Hennelly, Walte... more Authors Aida Suarez-Gonzalez, Gill Livingston, Lee-Fay-Low, Suzanne Cahill, Niamh Hennelly, Walter D. Dawson, Wendy Weidner, Martina Bocchetta, Cleusa P. Ferri, Jordi A Matias-Guiu, Suvarna Alladi, Christine Wayua Musyimi, Adelina Comas-Herrera. ltccovid.org This document is available through the website ltccovid.org, which was set up in March 2020 as a rapidly shared collection of resources for community and institution-based long-term care responses to Covid-19. The website is hosted by CPEC at the London School of Economics and Political Science and draws on the resources of the International Long Term Care Policy Network.

Practice, 2017

Although Care-Planning Meetings (CPMs) are an increasingly common part of the practice of social ... more Although Care-Planning Meetings (CPMs) are an increasingly common part of the practice of social work with older people and multidisciplinary teamwork(MDT), it is uncertain how and by whom the voice and wishes of older people, including those with a cognitive impairment, are given due priority. In addition, there is little professional guidance as to how to best plan and facilitate CPMs for older patients with cognitive and communication deficits and other often complex needs. An added challenge is the wide, often diverse, and conflicting range of perspectives held by health and social care professionals and other family members who may be involved. This scoping review article on CPMs for older people, considers the facilitators and barriers to effective participation as identified in the literature and proposes suggestions for best practices in CPMs which could help promote an individualised approach to participation that best reflects the older patient's wishes.

Age and ageing, Jan 28, 2015

previous studies have indicated a prevalence of dementia in older admissions of ∼42% in a single ... more previous studies have indicated a prevalence of dementia in older admissions of ∼42% in a single London teaching hospital, and 21% in four Queensland hospitals. However, there is a lack of published data from any European country on the prevalence of dementia across hospitals and between patient groups. to determine the prevalence and associations of dementia in older patients admitted to acute hospitals in Ireland. six hundred and six patients aged ≥70 years were recruited on admission to six hospitals in Cork County. Screening consisted of Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE); patients with scores <27/30 had further assessment with the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Final expert diagnosis was based on SMMSE, IQCODE and relevant medical and demographic history. Patients were screened for delirium and depression, and assessed for co-morbidity, functional ability and nutritional status. of 598 older patients admitted to acute ho...

Irish Journal of Medical Science