With natural light streaming through the open plan living areas, multi sensory gardens and private ensuite rooms with assisted technology, Charlton Lane Hospital is designed to ensure that patients will experience quality care in modern, dignified surroundings.

Charlton Lane Hospital held an open-day on 26th August to enable people to see the building and understand how the new hospital will deliver a high quality, state-of-the-art environment for your patients. The tour included a short presentation and a chance to meet up with other colleagues from the region.

Charlton Lane Hospital is located at Charlton Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 9DZ.

Features include:

• Women and dementia
• Our films used in eduction and training

The aim of the Brain Waves newsletter is to keep people with dementia and their allies informed about the work of Innovations in Dementia Community Interest Company. Previous issues of the newsletter are available to download from the Innovations in Dementia website at www.innovationsindementia.org.uk/news.htm.

Find out more about Innovations in Dementia at www.innovationsindementia.org.uk.

Vicky Wood, Chair of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, explained,

“Dawn, Carolyn and everyone involved in the project has spent a great deal of time exploring exactly what patients and their families want when they are in hospital. With the support of the King’s Fund, nurses, patients and their families have come up with an innovative design which will transform part of the ward to provide a carer’s kitchen, quiet lounge and garden. I hope, when completed it will enable patients and their families to enjoy time together in a space which doesn’t feel like a hospital.”

Sarah Waller CBE, Programme Director for the King’s Fund Enhancing the Healing Programme added,

“I am delighted to join the EHE team and so many colleagues to celebrate a significant milestone in the Garner Ward project. Thank you to all those who have made today possible and we look forward to seeing the completed scheme which I know will bring much benefit to patients, relatives and those who care for them later in the year.”

Carolyn Tothill, the nurse in charge of the ward has dedicated her career to nursing patients with dementia. Her inspiration and commitment to improve the experience of people with dementia has encouraged donations from a range of local charities and organisations. A total of £90,000 will be invested in the ward’s makeover.

Garner Ward is one of just 10 dementia services which were chosen to take part in The King’s Fund 2009 dementia services project. The investment in Garner Ward also reflects the Trust’s commitment to enabling people to live well with dementia and the national dementia strategy.

Patients and their families should be able to enjoy the new improved ward by early 2011.

Across the country a number of providers, councils and private companies have been developing various types of quality assurance “marks”. In the South West we have adopted a collaborative approach to develop a single standard. This would be both an efficient approach and reduce duplication across local authorities.

Download:

• Dementia Quality Mark (PDF 1.7 MB)
• Dementia Quality Mark – Quality assurance tools (PDF 1.6 MB)

Dementia demonstrator site event / Commissioners network meeting
When: Tue, 14 September, 10:00 – 16:00
Where: Albermarle Centre, Albermarle Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1BA, United Kingdom (map)
Description: Register your interest in attending with joanne.bray-warner@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Carers demonstrator site event
When: Tue, 21 September, 10:00 – 16:00
Where: Somerset County Cricket Club, The County Ground, Taunton, TA1 1JT, United Kingdom (map)
Description: Register your interest in attending with joanne.bray-warner@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Mentors will use their personal experiences of dementia to help others face the challenges of this condition, and can choose how much time they devote to their role.

You can download the campaign posters and flyers to share locally or put up in your workplaces from www.horsesmouth.co.uk

This work will build on the previous Government’s carers strategy – Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities – and will be a cross-government approach. In a letter to social care staff and other healthcare professionals in July, Care Services Minister Paul Burstow confirmed both of these are still appropriate.

The aim of the refresh is to focus on the activities that will have the greatest impact on improving the quality of carers’ lives and the support they receive, from April 2011 onwards. Ensuring the Government works in partnership with local authorities, the NHS, employers, local communities and carers will be a central theme of the refreshed approach.

To supplement the extensive consultation the previous Government undertook with carers, the Coalition Government is asking social care staff, the NHS, the voluntary sector and others to put forward their views on the top priorities and what will have the greatest impact on improving carers’ lives in the next four years. Responses are needed by 20 September 2010.

The tight timescale is necessary in order to help inform decisions in light of the Government’s Spending Review, including planning by local authorities and the NHS from April 2011 onwards. It will also allow the Government and its delivery partners to move quickly to make a difference to carers’ lives.

The Government will consider the issue of carers’ benefits separately under plans to simplify and modernise the benefit system. It will also seek views separately on the extension to the right to request flexible working and the work of the proposed Commission on Funding of Care and Support.

In responding to this call for evidence, organisations are asked to involve carers in formulating their responses, wherever possible and to advise them of the process so they can respond directly.

Download the letter and the response template

‘Compromised Swallowing’ offers information about nutrition, hydration and medication in advanced dementia, the booklet notes that swallowing difficulties are common among people with advanced dementia and present real challenges for carers, nurses and doctors.

The 19-page booklet is divided into two sections:

• Section 1 offers a practical approach to maintaining hydration and nutrition in those with swallowing difficulties.
• Section 2 focuses on medical management of symptoms and is a prescribing guide for doctors and nurses, prescribers and emergency care practitioners. It offers advice on a number of areas of care, including pain, vomiting, fever, convulsions and diabetes management.

The guide is now available at www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk

The International Dementia Excellence Awards ceremony will take place at the conference dinner on 20 October. The awards are designed to recognise organisations and individuals who have worked to improve the quality of life of people with dementia. The awards celebrate the important work being undertaken to support people with dementia internationally and are a celebration of innovation and good practice.

For more information visit www.londondementiaconference.com

The DSDC is delighted that the 2010 awards are being supported by a number of partner organisations. La Fondation Médéric Alzheimer is granting two of the awards, which will include a travel grant and bursary to attend the DSDC’s international conference in London in October 2010, where the awards will be presented. The Royal College of Nursing, NHS Kensington and Chelsea and NatWest are also award sponsors.

Where and when
The awards will be presented as part of ‘Coming of Age’, the DSDC’s 4th International Conference, in London in October 2010. The award ceremony will take place at the conference dinner on 20 October. The conference is aimed at all those who support people with dementia, including doctors, nurses, social workers, allied health professionals, service commissioners, inspectors, planners/architects, paramedics, housing organisations, the police, faith leaders, voluntary and private sector staff and people with dementia. For more information about the conference please visit www.londondementiaconference.com

Nominations are invited which reflect both small and large-scale activities that have made a difference to the lives of people with dementia. The awards are international and a wide range of individuals and organisations are encouraged to enter. Please note that the eligibility criteria vary for each award. Further details can be found in the conditions of entry section.

Apply online via the DSDC website

Nominations for the following categories are now being invited:

1. Pleasure of Eating – granted by La Fondation Médéric Alzheimer
This award recognises work that has enhanced the quality and experience of meal times and their associated activities for people with dementia. Nominations must demonstrate that the environment, ambience and experience of meal times has been enhanced for the person with dementia. The award will focus on the pleasure and experience associated with this important part of our daily lives.

2. Good Nights – granted by La Fondation Médéric Alzheimer
This award recognises measures that have improved the quality of the night-time experience for people with dementia or their carers. It will focus on work that has created choices for people with dementia and/or their carers to support periods of rest and engagement during the night. Examples may include helping the person settle to sleep, along with providing choices and support for them while they are awake. Community, housing, care home or hospital settings will be considered for this award.

3. Nurse of the Year – sponsored by the Royal College of Nursing
This award will be given to a nurse who has demonstrated innovation in practice, along with a high standard of care in their work with people with dementia and/or their carers. This may be in the context of individual support or changes in models of care. Their work can be based in the community, a care home or a hospital and can involve any client group affected by dementia.

4. Team of the Year – sponsored by NHS Kensington and Chelsea
The team of the year could come from any service that supports people with dementia. Applicants for the team award must demonstrate that they have enhanced the quality of services received by people with dementia.

5. Unsung Hero – sponsored by NatWest
This award will be given to an individual who has gone the extra mile, who simply gets on with the job or whose personal commitment has always shone through. Although this person may feel that they have only been doing their job, to others they will have genuinely made a difference.

6. Dementia Design Innovation of the Year
This award will recognise a communal or private setting used by people with dementia that demonstrates dementia-friendly design. Nominations for this award can come from care homes, hospitals, housing services or day centres and may include gardens or other spaces that demonstrate positive environmental design.

7. Volunteer of the Year
This award recognises an individual who has made a considerable difference to the lives of people with dementia through giving freely of their time and commitment. Nominees could include volunteers in day services, the treasurer of a support committee or a fundraiser.

Features include:

• Training
• Grey matters – brain, mind and culture
• Meet us at conferences in the autumn

The aim of the Brain Waves newsletter is to keep people with dementia and their allies informed about the work of Innovations in Dementia Community Interest Company. Previous issues of the newsletter are available to download from the Innovations in Dementia website at www.innovationsindementia.org.uk/news.htm.

Find out more about Innovations in Dementia at www.innovationsindementia.org.uk.

The Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA) system acts as a memory prompt, holding a tailored collection of music, radio, pictures and videos to allow people with dementia and their carers to share recollections and communicate more effectively.

The Living in the Moment system, which provides a range of computer-based activities for people with dementia to enjoy with another person. The activities are designed to encourage skill and creativity and were developed in partnership with people with dementia to ensure that their needs and capabilities were matched.

The Universities have recently licensed CIRCA and Living in the Moment for sale to care homes and clinics by Dementia Life Ltd. The company have just launched commercial versions of the two systems which contain over 3,000 pieces of generic content from the archives of the BBC, ITV and Trinity Mirror. Initial trials have already led to the adoption of the Dementia Life system by Sanctuary Care, which operates over 50 care homes in England, and substantial interest from other care providers.

The video below provides a brief introduction to the technologies.

For further information about Dementia Life, please contact: Michael Portz or Alex Henshall on 01625 506444 or by e-mail at: mportz@bellpottingernorth.co.uk or ahenshall@bellpottingernorth.co.uk

• Out Of Hospital Final Report 6 May 2010 (569 KB)
• Key Messages Edited Draft 4 (37 KB)
• Out Of Hospital Report Report From Stage 1 (402 KB)
• Carers as Partners in Hospital Discharge (671 KB)
• Statements Of Support (132 KB)

For further information on the hospital disharge process from a carer perspective, take a look at Carers UK’s coming out of hospital pages.

The module topics are:

• What it is and what it isn’t
• Living with dementia
• What causes dementia
• Diagnosis and who can help
• Common difficulties and how to help
• The emotional impact of dementia
• Positive communication

The e-learning resources are suitable for registered general, mental and district nurses, community and acute hospital staff, allied health professionals, social workers, ambulance staff, as well as family carers.

The e-learning resources are free to everyone and can be accessed via the Social Care Institute for Excellence website at www.scie.org.uk/publications/elearning/dementia/

NHS staff can also access the e-learning via the Electronic Staff Record learning management system.

This independent Commission will make recommendations to the Government on how to achieve an affordable and sustainable funding system. A lot of work has already been done in this area, and the new Commission will build on existing academic research, international experience and public consultations.

The Commission is chaired by economist and broadcaster Andrew Dilnot CBE, Principal of St Hugh’s College, Oxford. He will be supported by two further commissioners – Dame Jo Williams is acting Chair of the Care Quality Commission and has over 30 years of experience in local government. Lord Norman Warner is a former health minister and was Director of Social Services for Kent County Council.

For more information visit http://carecommission.dh.gov.uk/

Almost 100 people attended an awareness day to find out more about dementia care in Weston.

Weston Area Health Trust held the drop-in lunchtime session for people to learn about workers and organisations helping people living with dementia.

The event was held at Weston General Hospital and featured the Alzheimer’s Society, Crossroads Care, Avon Fire and Rescue service and Telecare.

Trust chief executive Lorene Read said:

“There are lots of agencies involved in dementia care and this can be confusing for people. We need to work together so that people can get the information and services they need at the right time, in the right place, and by hosting this event we hope to have made a significant contribution to this work in North Somerset.”

The White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS’ details how power will be devolved from Whitehall to patients and professionals.

The White Paper asserts that professionals will be free to focus on improving health outcomes and patients will get more choice and control.

Under the new plans, patients will be able to choose which GP practice they register with, regardless of where they live, and choose between consultant-led teams. More comprehensive and transparent information, such as patients’ own ratings, will help them make these choices together with healthcare professionals.

Groups of GPs will be given freedom and responsibility for commissioning care for their local communities. Providers of services will have new freedoms and they will be more accountable. There will be greater competition in the NHS and greater cooperation. Services will be more joined up, supported by a new role for Local Authorities to support integration across health and social care.

The Department of Health is consulting on elements of these proposals. Details on how to respond can be found in the White Paper.

• Download White Paper: Equity and excellence liberating the NHS (PDF, 720K)
• Download analytical strategy for the White Paper and associated documents (PDF, 117K)
• Download initial equality impact assessment (PDF, 150K)
• Secretary of State’s statement to the House of Commons, 12 July 2010
• Press release, 12 July 2010

Thinkpublic, a public sector design agency, worked with the Alzheimer’s Society in Sheffield, to establish a strategy for meeting the challenges of frontline service provision as a third sector body, mobilising the trust and experience they have built up over years of working with people with dementia to create a fully co-produced service and attract NHS funding under the national strategy.

Nicola Jacobson, a dementia advisor in Sheffield, who has worked for the society for three years, says she can see a shift in focus:

“The key change is that now we’re putting the person at the centre of the service, not the carer … The full impact has not yet been fully evaluated, but the feeling is that the advisers reduce hospital admissions, care visits – and enable people with dementia to remain in their own homes for longer.

Delivering the service this way means we can focus on quality of life, and be a service provider in the widest sense. It’s not just health and social care – we recommend social clubs, organise walking groups, and help people connect with their local communities.

Early intervention is key, too – my youngest client is 40, with two young children. We also can provide services and advice to people before diagnosis to make sure they’re getting the right advice and support and before they reach crisis point and need a hospital admission or GP visit.”

» Read more in the Guardian article ‘Dementia sufferers benefit from person-centred public services’.

The Charter Mark Standards for RUH Patients with Dementia is the first such scheme in the UK and will provide a ‘gold standard’ for staff to ensure care for people with dementia on all adult wards, not just those specifically for older people, is the very best it can be.

There are about 750,000 people in the UK with dementia and at any one time, up to a third of all patients in hospital may have dementia or delirium. Whilst these patients may have been admitted to the RUH for other reasons, their dementia can make time spent in an unfamiliar hospital bed even more distressing.

Dr Chris Dyer, Consultant Geriatrician says

“People with dementia may feel sad, frightened or angry about what is happening to them, and a decline in their ability to talk, read and write can make it hard to understand medical problems or communicate with the staff caring for them.

We’ve been working with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust and voluntary organisations such as Alzheimer’s Support, and are proud to launch these extremely important Charter Mark Standards for RUH Patients with Dementia. The high standards are set for each adult ward to ultimately provide the very best care possible for patients with dementia and ensure their stay in our hospital is as stress-free as possible.”

Each ward is being given the opportunity to apply for the Charter Mark, with three levels available – gold, silver and bronze. The standards cover four main areas of care:

• respecting and caring for people with dementia
• the ward environment
• meeting nutritional needs, and
• suitability of staffing.

Within each of these areas there are then further markers of ‘excellent care’. These include ensuring that care is person-centred and that feedback from patients and their carers show a high level of satisfaction. To be awarded the gold standard Charter Mark, signs on the wards must be easily understandable for people with dementia and every effort must be taken to prevent boredom by regular therapeutic sessions or activities.

Mealtimes are so important to get right, for both a patient’s immediate care and their longer term well-being, but patients with dementia can struggle at mealtimes. Dr Dyer agrees,

“We want all staff to recognise that patients with dementia may not feel thirst or hunger and that some patients may take a long time to eat a meal.”

Carers should be encouraged to visit if they wish to and patients should have the chance to sit at a table more socially if they would like. We want more flexibility in the provision and presentation of food, with snacks and finger foods offered 24 hours a day to make it easier for patients with dementia to keep their independence and still maintain their weight.”

In order to apply for the Charter Mark, each ward manger sends a written application before taking part in a preliminary informal review. A formal review then takes place involving patient representatives followed by an observation period to really see work in practice on the ward.

Dr Dyer adds

“We hope all wards will take on the Charter Mark challenge and work on each of the areas so we can bring our care of all dementia patients up to the gold standard.”

Ian Sherriff, chairman of the Alzheimer’s Society South West area forum, said:

“Plymouth is going a long way to planning for the huge rise in numbers, through people working together and academic analysis of what’s happening. The partnership between NHS Plymouth, Derriford Hospital, the city council, university, caring agencies and voluntary sector is really starting to work. I think there’s been a change in the past couple of years but with rising numbers, we musn’t take out feet off the pedal.”

Julie Wilson, NHS Plymouth commissioner, said care for dementia patients and their carers is a top priority in the city. She said:

“People are really working together. We’ve got a really good strong partnership that’s covering all the care pathways in dementia. The numbers are going to rise, but making sure the most appropriate services are in place is key. We have to make sure support is there and we will be making sure it is there. It is one of the key areas the primary care trust is delivering on.”

There are an estimated 10,000 people living with dementia in Greater Bristol – and that figure is expected to triple in the next 50 years. But the fear is that there could be thousands of people in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire who have not been diagnosed.

Despite this, significant progress is being made in improving services for dementia sufferers and their carers, according to health chiefs. Richard Lyle, programme director for urgent care and older people at NHS Bristol, said they are doing all they can to find a diagnosis for more than 2,000 undiagnosed cases in the city. He said some people may not want to admit to themselves that symptoms they are suffering could be a sign of the disease.

Mr Lyle said:

“Unfortunately there is still a lot of stigma around dementia plus widespread lack of awareness about its causes and how people can be supported. This can put people off getting the right help and so also create a barrier to early diagnosis. We are working with the council, local charities and other community groups on a plan of action to raise awareness levels and make sure the right level of care and support is available.

Dementia affects a lot of families in Bristol and most of us will know someone who has had or has the illness. We want to make sure that anyone worried about their memory gets checked out earlier rather than later. The good news is that if people get diagnosed in time there are a range of support and treatments options available from medication to just having someone to talk to turn to for advice.”

NHS Bristol have a stall set up in the centre of Broadmead on Wednesday 7th July, staffed by members of the memory service and community mental health team to help advise people who may have concerns about themselves or relatives. People with concerns can visit their GP or contact a dementia advisor for more information on 0117 961 0693.

A YouGov survey published Tuesday, 6 July 2010 to mark Dementia Awareness Week found that after a diagnosis:

• 17% of people would want support but would have no one to turn to
• 70% of people would be frightened, 60% would feel depressed and 35% angry
• Over one in four (27%) would feel lonely and one in 10 (10%) would feel ashamed
• More than four out of five (84%) people would turn to a professional for support

This Dementia Awareness Week Alzheimer’s Society is encouraging people to ‘remember the person’ by looking beyond someone’s diagnosis of dementia and engaging with them.

Debbie Donnison, South West Area Manager for Alzheimer’s Society, says,

“It is terrible that so many people would not know where to turn if they diagnosed with dementia. One in three people over 65 with die with the condition. We need better awareness and information so that a diagnosis of dementia is not such a frightening experience.”

39% of respondents think people with dementia lose their personality. However, evidence suggests that people with dementia can still have hobbies, likes and dislikes, just the same as everyone else but it is often their dementia which prevents them from expressing themselves the way they used to.

Tony Lewis, 67, from Redruth who has Alzheimer’s disease, says,

“I was upset when I got my diagnosis of dementia in 1999 at the age of 57 but continued to work for a further 8 years until my retirement at 65. There are things I can no longer do as well as I used to but I am still able to travel and do many of the things I enjoy.”

More than seven out of 10 (76%) people say they would turn to family or friends for support if they were diagnosed with dementia. Yet the charity hears countless stories of people with dementia losing friends following a diagnosis. Research by the Department of Health earlier this year found many people fear and misunderstand dementia causing them to avoid people with the condition or treat them differently.

Debbie Donnison continues,

“Having dementia can be an isolating experience for all involved but there are little things you can do to support a family living with dementia. From popping round for a cup of tea and a chat or helping out around the house, there are many ways you can show you care this Dementia Awareness Week. Friends and family have a strong role to play in helping people with dementia. We must tackle the stigma surrounding the condition if we are to ensure people with dementia are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Alzheimer’s Society has a number of events happening locally to celebrate Dementia Awareness Week. Interviews with people with dementia, carers and spokespeople are available on request.

Notes to editors:

• All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2029 adults, of which 178 were situated in the South West. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28 May and 1 June 2010. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
• Dementia Awareness Week™ runs from Sunday 4 – Saturday 10 July, 2010
• Alzheimer’s Society has produced ten top tips on how the public can support a family living with dementia. For more information, please visit alzheimers.org.uk/remembertheperson
• One in three people over 65 will die with dementia.
• Alzheimer’s Society research shows that 750,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer’s disease. In just 15 years a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051.
• Alzheimer’s Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and the millions of people who care for them.
• Alzheimer’s Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Alzheimer’s Society supports people to live well with dementia today and funds research to find a cure for tomorrow. We rely on voluntary donations to continue our vital work. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting alzheimers.org.uk
• Alzheimer’s Society provides a National Dementia Helpline, the number is 0845 300 0336 or visit alzheimers.org.uk

Further information:
Contact Sian Evans, External Affairs Manager 0117 967 3020 sian.evans@alzheimers.org.uk

NHS staff across the region are pioneering new skills so that in all settings they can better meet the needs of people who have dementia, for example:

• Ambulance staff are being trained to recognise signs of dementia and communicate well with those affected in emergency situations
• Working with GPs so that more people have their dementia diagnosed and at an earlier stage so that they get the right support
• Hospitals across the region have a senior member of staff responsible for ensuring that people’s dementia needs are met while they may be receiving treatment for other conditions.

Liz Redfern, Director of Patient Care and Nursing at the South West Strategic Health Authority, said:

“There are lots of agencies involved in dementia care and this in itself can be confusing for people. We need to work together so that people can get the information and services they need at the right time, in the right place, and ensure that every penny spent on dementia care makes a real difference.

We recognise that we face an enormous challenge but we want to reassure people that dementia remains a top clinical and financial priority in the South West. Commissioners are making significant strides in ensuring robust and effective strategies are in place to make real change and improvement. It’s not a ‘quick fix’ but a commitment to a major programme of work over years.”

In November 2008 the South West Strategic Health Authority hosted the region’s first-ever Dementia Summit, bringing together leading national experts and local people living with dementia, including families and carers, to help shape the future of care.

This led to the formation of a unique Dementia Partnership Group, made up of representatives from health, social care, the Alzheimer’s Society and carer representatives, to take forward a vision for better, more integrated services tailored to individual need and delivered when and where people need them, in line with the national strategy.

The South West already has the largest proportion of older people in the country, and the longest life expectancy. Latest figures show that 76,000 people in the region are living with dementia and this is likely to increase by 50 per cent over the next 15 years.

A detailed review was carried out last year to assess the quality of dementia services across the region, highlighting areas of excellence as well as identifying where improvements are necessary.

Local councils and Primary Care Trusts throughout the South West are now working closely together and each community has a plan to develop improved services for people with dementia and their carers.

People have highlighted the importance of getting good information, support from their GP and access to an early diagnosis.

As a result of this review, the Partnership has committed to:

• Join up services across health and social care so that people receive more co-ordinated support;
• Achieve better consistency of services across the region, so that people in all areas have equal access to high quality care and support;
• Learn from areas of best practice already taking place. There are many success stories in the South West and examples of excellent care and support which can be shared and copied more widely.

Note to Editors:

Dementia Awareness Week runs from 4-11 July in England and Wales

For local cases studies or interviewees, please contact Gillian Humphrey, Media Relations Manager, NHS South West, on 01823 361365, or your local Primary Care Trust communications team.

For more information from the Alzheimer’s Society, see www.alzheimers.org.uk/remembertheperson

“Drawn to a better quality of life, pockets of the Westcountry have long been popular with pensioners, a trend which now means around 9,000 people over the age of 50 are moving to the region each year – comfortably the biggest influx in England.

But with Government statisticians forecasting that the “oldest old”, those aged 85 and over, will double by 2030 in the South West, analysts have raised serious concerns about the strain likely to be placed on housing, healthcare and benefits.”

As the pensioner population increases the number of people living with dementia will increase.

To address these issues Cornwall Council, in alliance with the local health trust, has set up a panel of older people’s “champions” from representative groups to help shape policy and services.

Read the Western Morning News article.

The Dementia Carers’ Pathways guide has already provided practical information to more than 10,000 carers in the county.

Over the coming weeks more people are set to benefit as the guide becomes available in every GP surgery in Devon.

The booklet contains guidance and information intended to meet the needs of dementia carers, who are often older, may have restricted income and health problems, and suffer social isolation.

It was written by Devon residents David Light and Jim Delves who found it difficult to find the information they needed while caring for their lifelong partners.

The guide has proved so successful that they have had enquiries about the guide from caring organisations and NHS trusts all over the UK.

David, aged 73, of Bishopsteignton, near Newton Abbot, said:

“The guide has been very well received indeed; we not had a bad comment so far. In fact, one person was so pleased with it that they donated £500 to have more copies printed when their mother died. I think it works so well because it is practical based on experience, and I am delighted that it seems to have been of use to so many people”.

A total of 13,000 copies have been distributed since the guide was launched two years ago.

David and Jim remained committed, positive and flexible while working with the NHS to develop the guide. They also gave much of their own time and money to the project.

Both men have also been instrumental in setting up “memory cafes” throughout the county with NHS Devon and Devon County Council.

The guide was funded by Devon Partnership NHS Trust with support from the Senior Council for Devon, Rotarians and Bishopsteignton councillor Alun Williams.

It has already been sent to carers, carers’ networks and voluntary agencies in the county. Devon Partnership NHS Trust is now working with NHS Devon to make the guides available in local practices.

Paul Baker, head of primary care at NHS Devon, said:

“It’s great to see how two carers have turned frustration into action. The guide is a uniquely imaginative, highly valued means of support to carers and has clearly made a real difference. We hope that making it available in GP practices will help many more people in future. I’d like to thank David and Jim for all their efforts.”

The guides will be available in GP surgeries in Mid Devon and Exeter this week. Practices in other areas will stock them from the end of July.

If you have a difficulty obtaining one please contact David or Jim direct on dlight@gmail.com or jimdelves@yahoo.co.uk

For more information or interviews contact Paul Hopkins on 01392 356 956 / 267 647 or 0797 133 0491.

Snow White and the Seven Designers is an innovative and hugely creative take on the much-loved fairytale, starring leading figures from the world of interior design and with costumes designed by the most illustrious fashion designers in the world, including Vivienne Westwood, Pucci, Armani and Jean Paul Gaultier to name but a few.

The pantomime will be taking place at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End and will run from 12th – 16th October, with a dazzling charity Gala evening being held on the 14th October.

So if you are a fashionista, have a passion for design, love panto, love theatre, love music, then why not support Dementia UK’s biggest fundraising event of the year.

For further information about the show, please visit the website www.interiordesignerspantomime.com. To purchase your tickets please contact the Garrick box office on 0844 412 4662 or visit the Garrick website

Admiral Nursing DIRECT is a national helpline for people with dementia, their carers, friends, family and professionals. The service is run by Admiral Nurses, specialist dementia nurses, and is normally available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 8:45pm and Saturdays from 10am until 1pm (0845 257 9406, direct@dementiauk.org).

In recognition of Dementia Awareness Week, Admiral Nursing DIRECT’s opening hours will be extended to include Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11am -5:30pm.

In addition, Dementia UK will be sending out leaflets and Admiral Nursing DIRECT cards to GP practices in areas in the South West where there are currently no Admiral Nurse services and where people may not be aware of the national helpline.

For more information visit www.dementiauk.org

Sarah Waller, the King’s Fund Programme Director, said

“Musgrove is one of only 12 sites selected nationally from 60 applicants. This programme has a specific focus on dementia and is intended to support the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy. We want to provide practical, value-for-money examples of how environments can be redesigned to better support NHS care for people with dementia and their carers. The team at Musgrove show real commitment to this aim.”

Sue Wood is Sister on Sedgemoor, the acute elderly care ward which will be the focus of the programme. She said,

“This is very exciting for us. The staff on the ward care for a wide range of older people who have complex needs, many of whom also have a dementia. It is acknowledged that people with dementia often have a poorer outcome when admitted to an acute hospital; they often stay longer, and are less likely to return to their own home. To address this our aim is to redesign the main ward, to make it a calm, welcoming environment using seating, lighting, colour and art work.”

Martine Price, Director of Nursing and Governance, said,

“We were delighted to learn that we had been successful in our bid to receive this funding. One of our priorities this year is to improve care for dementia patients, and this funding will help us to do just that. We know that making the environment more pleasant can have a significant effect on how patients feel and make a big difference for the people who care for them.”

The photo shows (left to right) Sue Wood (Sedgemoor Ward Sister), Sarah Waller (King’s Fund Programme Director), Headly Finn (King’s Fund Design Consultant), Professor Jane Gillard (Department of Health) and Darren Potter (Deputy Estates Manager at Musgrove)

For further information, please contact:

• Mark Wall on 01823 344546, mark.wall@tst.nhs.uk
• Lindsay Aitken on 01823 342462, Lindsay.aitken@tst.nhs.uk, or
• Lynn Gurnett on 01823 34246, Lynn.Gurnett@tst.nhs.uk

Notes to Editors

Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton is part of Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

The hospital serves a population of 340,000 – primarily living in the area served by NHS South West. Each year almost 40,000 patients are admitted as emergencies; 10,000 patients are admitted for elective
surgery; 26,000 are seen for day case surgery; 232,000 patients attend outpatient clinics; 48,000 attend Accident and Emergency, 170,000 diagnostic examinations take place and over 3000 babies are born in the Maternity Department. Almost 1000 patients are admitted to Critical Care each year.

Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has an annual budget of £190 million. The hospital has over 700 beds, 30 wards, 15 operating theatres, a fully equipped diagnostic imaging department and a purpose built cancer treatment centre which includes outpatient, chemotherapy day care, radiotherapy and inpatient facilities. The Trust employs over 4000 staff.

For the latest news from Musgrove Park Hospital go to
www.tsft.nhs.uk/News/PressReleases/

The scope of the quality standard covers care provided by health and social care staff in direct contact with people with dementia in hospital, community, home-based, group care, residential or specialist care settings.

The quality standard for dementia is based on the understanding that dementia services are commissioned from and coordinated across all relevant agencies encompassing the whole dementia care pathway. An integrated approach to provision of services is fundamental to the delivery of high quality care to people with dementia.

• Download the dementia quality standard (85 KB)

Implementation support materials

• Patient information
• Cost Impact and Commissioning Assessment
• CG42 Dementia: slide set
• Memory assessment service: commissioning guide
• CG42 Dementia: audit support
• Social Care Institute for Excellence: Dementia Gateway

Alzheimer's Society Remember the person leaflet

The South West Dementia Partnership will be marking the week by publishing the results of a survey launched last year to gain a better understanding of the needs of people with dementia and their carers in the region. The survey results will be published, along with an update from the Partnership on the progress made in delivering the objectives set by the National Dementia Strategy. The update and results, along with local case studies will be printed across all the South West newspapers owned by Northcliffe Media, including the Exeter Express & Echo.