The Dementia 6 C's are Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, and Commitment, a person-centered framework developed by the UK's NHS to guide health and social care professionals in supporting individuals living with dementia with dignity and respect, focusing on the whole person rather than just the illness. These principles promote treating people with dementia as individuals, understanding their lifetime experiences, and providing holistic support.
The 6 C's: A Compassionate Framework for Dementia Care
Enter the 6 C's of care: Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, and Commitment.
In dementia screening, clinicians often refer to a list of symptoms commonly known as the 7 A's — anosognosia, agnosia, aphasia, apraxia, altered perception, amnesia, and apathy. In recent years, attention deficit has been added to the list, which is now known at the 8 A's of dementia.
The 6 Cs include Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, and Commitment. These values are guiding principles for person-centred working. Furthermore, they form the foundation of good practice in health and social care, shaping how care professionals approach their work every day.
Stage 6c: Cannot perform mechanics of toileting without assistance, occasionally or frequently. Stage 6d: Is incontinent of urine, occasionally or frequently. Stage 6e: Is incontinent of bowel, occasionally or frequently. Stage 7a: Has speech limited to fewer than six intelligible words during an average day.
There is no known cure, but early diagnosis and treatment can lead to better quality of life. Stay healthy with a good diet and regular exercise. Stay away from alcohol and other substances that may affect memory, thinking, and behavior.
What are the NHS' 6 Cs of nursing?
Failing to adhere to the principles of the 6 Cs can result in legal and ethical issues, including complaints, lawsuits, and disciplinary actions.
People receiving care expect it to be right for them consistently throughout every stage of their life. Care. Compassion. Competence. Communication.
The three golden rules of dementia communication, from the SPECAL method (Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer's), are: Don't ask direct questions, Listen to the person and learn from them, and Don't contradict, which aim to reduce distress by focusing on feelings and validating the person's reality rather than correcting facts, fostering connection and calm instead of confrontation.
The number one cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, responsible for 60-80% of cases, characterized by brain plaques (beta-amyloid protein) and tangles (tau protein) that damage nerve cells, leading to progressive memory and cognitive decline, though vascular dementia from blood vessel damage is also a significant factor.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Others include Lewy Body dementia, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Different forms of dementia have their own symptoms and patterns of progression.
In an attempt to achieve some clarity, James and Jackman (2017) produced an 8-item needs framework made up of the following eight needs: physical comfort, perception of safety, positive touch, love and belonging, self-esteem, control over environment and possessions, fun, and occupation and exploration.
The Three R's
The Six Cs model was developed by ICFR co-founder Dr. Moshe Farchi. The Six Cs is an acronym that represents the model's six intervention principles: Communication, Commitment, Cognition, Continuity, Control, and Challenge.
Communication. Communication is central to successful caring relationships and to effective team working.
One-to-one communication
Sometimes this involves formal communication, at other times it involves informal communication, for example when the care worker speaks to a colleague who is also a friend, or when they have got to know a patient or relative very well.
The possible disadvantages of PCC are as follows: Increased personal and financial costs; Exclusion of certain groups; Exclusion of staff's personhood; Risk for compassion fatigue; and Unfairness due to empathy.
Competence. All those in caring roles must have the ability to understand an individual's health and social needs. Possessing the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver high-quality nursing care is vital.
Why were the 6 Cs of nursing introduced? The 6 Cs – care, compassion, courage, communication, commitment, competence - are a central part of 'Compassion in Practice', which was first established by NHS England Chief Nursing Officer, Jane Cummings, in December 2017.
Person-centred values
These are the guiding principles that help to put the interests of the individual receiving care or support at the centre of everything we do. Examples include: individuality, independence, privacy, partnership, choice, dignity, respect and rights.
The cause of roughly 70% of all dementia cases is Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain disorder characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, leading to memory loss and impaired thinking that interferes with daily life, making it the most common form of dementia.
Seroquel is the brand name for quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic that is used off-label to treat severe behavioral signs of dementia. It can help with bad symptoms, including agitation, aggressiveness, and hallucinations, that other drugs don't help with.
When someone gets the diagnosis of dementia, a cure is only very rarely possible (see p2 About Reversible Dementias). In the current issue of Neurology, Sacks and Shulman1 report one of these rare cases of a reversal of dementia involving a patient on steroid medication.