Dementia Partnerships
Improving the involvement of people living with dementia
This project led by the Alzheimer’s Society aims to deliver and evaluate dementia leadership programmes in CCG areas across the South West. Read more »
What's new
Reducing emergency admissions to hospital
This project aims to support CCGs in the South West to reduce emergency admissions to hospital for people with dementia by reviewing and redesigning care pathways. Read more »
Improving end of life care for people with dementia
This project led by the Alzheimer’s Society and National Council for Palliative Care aims to facilitate a regional network, deliver a train-the-trainer programme and to evaluate the outcomes. Read more »
Improving diagnosis and diagnosis pathways
This project aims to suport CCGs in the South West to deliver 2013-14 and 2014-15 ambitions for diagnosis rates by improving diagnosis in primary care and diagnosis pathways. Read more »
South West Clinical Networks
The Dementia Network South West is one of three networks within the Strategic Clinical Network for Mental Health, Dementia and Neurological Conditions South West. Read more »
Dying well at home: the case for integrated working
This guide published by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is about enabling people who want to die at home to do so and improving the quality of care they receive. Read more »
NHS Innovation Challenge Prize for Dementia
The NHS Innovation Challenge Prize for Dementia is now open for entries. Awards will be made for innovations that redesign services around the needs of patients, improve diagnosis and reduce both the number of hospital attendances and the amount of time patients spend in hospital. Read more »
Award for Advanced Care Planning work in Cornwall
Peninsula Deanery recently picked up the National Patient Safety Congress award for its work in Cornwall around Advanced Care Planning. This adds to the HSJ award that has previously been given to this work. Read more »
National ambition to improve dementia diagnosis rates
NHS England has set the first-ever national ambition to improve dementia diagnosis rates and ensure that two-thirds of people with dementia will be identified and given appropriate support by 2015. Read more »
Dementia Challenge annual report of progress
The Dementia Challenge champion groups have produced a report on their progress since the challenge was launched in March 2012. Read more »
Integrated Care: Our Shared Commitment
This document sets out how local areas can use existing structures like Health and Wellbeing Boards to bring together local partners to make further steps towards integration. Read more »
Dementia coding clean-up exercise
This exercise devised by Dr Paul Russell aims to support GPs to identify problems in coding, which are contributing to low rates of dementia diagnosis on practice registers. Read more »
Care Bill
The Care Bill introduces legislation to provide protection and support to the people who need it most and to take forward elements of the government’s initial response to the Francis Inquiry. Read more »
Dementia: Finding housing solutions
This report, published by the National Housing Federation, highlights how good housing and related services can impact positively on the lives of people with dementia, from delaying more intensive forms of care to preventing admission and readmission to hospital. Read more »
Dementia Prevalence Calculator
The Dementia Prevalence Calculator presents an opportunity for all health communities to gain a better understanding of their local estimated prevalence of dementia in the community, and among people living in local care homes. Read more »
Volunteering and dementia in Bristol
In partnership with the Voluntary Sector and Local Authority this project will support people with dementia and their carers/family post diagnosis in Bristol, through volunteering. Read more »
Bristol as a Dementia Friendly City
This project aims to move Bristol towards becoming a ‘dementia-friendly city’ in which people with dementia can enjoy the same opportunities to take part in a social life, live independently and engage in everyday activity as other people, without fear of stigma or rejection. Read more »
Purposeful Activity Volunteers at Weston General
Hospital
Purposeful Activity Volunteers (PAV) are being recruited to visit inpatients with dementia at Weston General Hospital, providing a period of social inclusion to this vulnerable group of people. Read more »
Orientation clocks Royal United Hospital Bath
Large screen Day Night Orientation clocks are being used on the wards at Royal United Hospital Bath, providing a constant and reassuring source of information on time and place. Read more »
Reminiscence therapy at University Hospitals Bristol
The reminiscence pod at the Bristol Royal Infirmary provides a complete environment set in the 1950’s era enabling interaction with ‘familiar’ objects, prompting conversation and greater levels of communication. Read more »
Making Plymouth University dementia friendly
Plymouth University will deliver specialist dementia awareness training to staff in a signficant step towards becoming the country’s first dementia friendly university. Read more »
‘Young at Heart’ project in Salisbury District Hospital
‘Young at Heart’ is a project to improve the time in Salisbury District Hospital for older patients through a regular and continuous programme of creative activities on the wards, such as singing, music, storytelling, dance and movement, and crafts. Read more »
Consolidating dementia education at University Hospitals
Bristol
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust have appointed a project lead to deliver a Dementia Education programme offering three levels of training. Read more »
Dementia 2013: The hidden voice of loneliness
This report, published Alzheimer’s Society, reveals that nearly two thirds (62%) of more than 250,000 people with dementia who live on their own are lonely. This compares to just 24 per cent of over 55 year olds. Read more »
The Engage Programme Salisbury District Hospital
The Department of Clinical Psychology at Salisbury District Hospital has developed a Programme ‘Engage’ which is designed to support the psychological needs of older adults in hospital. Read more »
Enhancing the healing environment at Lulworth Ward
The refurbishment and upgrade of Lulworth ward using the principles and guidance of the Kings Fund Enhancing Healing Environments programme has delivered a dementia-friendly environment using colour, space and art to enhance orientation, continence, nutrition and recovery. Read more »
Mealtime volunteers at Weston General Hospital
Volunteers at Weston General Hospital are providing help to people with dementia at mealtimes. Read more »
Standards for dementia care at Salisbury District Hospital
out-patient departments
Salisbury District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has developed new standards for patients with dementia attending out-patient departments building on the South West standards for in-patients. Read more »
Frailty Nurses in Cornwall
Nurses working in Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust are actively targeting frail patients with dementia at the front door ensuring appropriate assessment, care and discharge planning is completed and that it involves the patient and carers. Read more »
Staff training at Salisbury District Hospital
Salisbury District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society to deliver Basic Awareness Workshops in Dementia to staff at the hospital. Read more »
CMG48: Support for commissioning of dementia care
This resource supports commissioners, clinicians and managers to commission high-quality evidence-based care for people with dementia and their carers. Read more »
QS30: Supporting people to live well with dementia
This quality standard, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), covers the care and support of people with dementia. Read more »
Soundbite at the Royal United Hospital Bath
Under the Art at the Heart umbrella, Soundbite brings a varied programme of live music and creative activities to patients, staff and visitors at the Royal United Hospital Bath. Read more »
Prevalence and QOF earnings
This information provides a useful illustration for GPs on how improving prevalence can make a big difference to QOF earnings even if they don’t manage to hit the target for maximum points. Read more »
Shared transfer of care at Weston General Hospital
Staff at Weston General Hospital are using a new shared transfer of care letter during discharge which better captures the health needs of the patients with dementia. Read more »
Quality Charter Mark in Elderly Care at Weston General Hospital
Three wards at Weston General Hospital have signed up to the national Quality Charter Mark in Elderly Care with a real focus on Dementia care and staff attitude towards Dementia patients. Read more »
Lunch club at Torbay Hospital
A lunch club held is being held on a care of elderly medical ward at Torbay Hospital to ensure that nutrition and hydration needs are well met. Read more »
ACEmobile dementia assessment tool
A new mobile application has been developed by clinicians in Plymouth, supported by international colleagues, that provides an easy-to-use dementia assessment tool that can be used by a wide range of medical and other healthcare staff. Read more »
Intentional rounding in Bristol
Intentional ward rounds involving occupational therapists and physiotherapists working alongside nurses are being undertaken at University Hospitals Bristol. Read more »
Improving dementia care in care homes
This project aims to support CCGs in the South West to develop and use agreed service specifications, contracts and guidance for standards of care to improve the quality of life for people with dementia living in care homes. Read more »
Skills Academy launches Registered Managers programme
This programme aims to better-equip Registered Care Home Managers to meet the challenges they face; to reduce their isolation by networking them at local and national level; and to enable them to recognise their leadership role. Read more »
Making a Difference in Dementia: Nursing Strategy
This nursing vision and strategy for dementia care, published by the Department of Health, makes clear that every nurse can make a difference to the care of people with dementia. Read more »
Enhanced care home outcomes in Oxfordshire
This project aims to improve the quality of service for people living with dementia in Oxfordshire by integrating the established care home support service with a new mental health in-reach service. Read more »
Technology libraries in Bath and North East Somerset
This project aims to use technology to support the cognitive and emotional needs of people with dementia and their carers living in Bath and North East Somerset. Read more »
Dementia friendly communities in Guildford and Waverley
This project will deliver a new service to develop Dementia friendly communities capable of supporting people to live well with dementia in Guildford and Waverley. Read more »
Compassion, Care, and Community
Staff and volunteers from general and community hospitals and voluntary organisations in the South West attended an inspiring, uplifting and stimulating conference in Taunton on 8 March 2013. Read more »
Dementia friendly Crawley
This project aims to create a dementia friendly Crawley that improves the quality of life for people living with dementia now and those who are affected by dementia in the future. Read more »
Personal Record of Dementia Journey – Berkshire Blue Book
Building on the Gloucestershire ‘Living Well Handbook’, this project aims to develop a user-designed and owned handbook that will serve as a companion to the dementia journey for people in West Berkshire . Read more »
Circles of Support for people with dementia in Hampshire
This project will implement a training and mentoring package to develop Circles of Support for people with dementia in Hampshire. Read more »
Towards a memory friendly Buckinghamshire
This project aims to support communities in Buckinghamshire to respond positively to memory issues by better understanding the needs of someone with memory problems and working together to help people with dementia live well within their own communities. Read more »