This project will create dementia friendly communities in North Hampshire, specifically responding to the demographic changes and the increasing levels of need emanating from diverse communities.

Hampshire Wellbeing Services (HWS) carries out activities which benefit marginalised individuals, families, carers and groups in aspects relating to their health, social care and wellbeing in Hampshire.

In 2009-2010, there were 90 languages spoken in Basingstoke  (Hampshire Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service report: Equality, Excellence, Diversity, 2009-2010). Also, the area has seen an increase in ethnic minorities (EM) in the past 50 years. There was the direct recruitment of personnel from the commonwealth in 1960s, 1970’s London overspill, 1990’s global migration, 2000’s highly skilled migrant programme and EU Ascension. The area has 50,200 EM consisting of both established and newly-arrived. Many of those who arrived in the 60’s and 70’s are now retired facing old age. In north Hampshire the Nepalese community has a particularly strong presence, including the Gurkhas, who retired before 1997, and their extended families.

DCED will outreach into the communities and support families to manage their loved ones journey through dementia. In particular, develop relationships where English is a second language, there are different cultural practices, religions and beliefs, expectations and other diverse characteristics.

DCED will have 5 strands:

1. educate people from ethnic minority communities about dementia, through workshops, accessible information, self-help  tools,
2. educate health and wellbeing professionals and other agencies about cultural differences,  attitudes to memory loss held by some ethnic minority communities and good practice,
3. train and develop people from ethnic minority communities to become bilingual Befrienders to support people in their community with dementia, their friends and families and those who care for them,
4. train and provide advocates and bilingual advocates to specialise in giving out reach dementia support to families and dementia patients, prior to and through their post‐diagnosis pathway and dementia journey,
5. deliver advice and support services in the community acting as the link between the families, the rest of the community and mainstream services.

DCED will adopt the innovations derived from four projects:

1. Age UK Camden’s Dementia Befriending services, developed roles where volunteers act as a ‘concerned other’ and link the Befriendee and the family to other services as their situation changes or should they require further support.
2. Friends with Dementia: Woking in Surrey, has a centre providing simple and accessible information about dementia and local services, set up a Friends with Dementia Partnership Board and developed an outreach role to ‘reach in’ to the Asian community.
3. Dementia Advocacy Network and Westminster Advocacy Service for Senior Residents. Raised awareness of dementia and dementia advocacy amongst ethnic minority communities, raised awareness amongst existing advocacy services of the need to make their service more accessible to older ethnic minority people with dementia.  In addition, support these advocates by sharing expertise and providing training.
4. The Wiltshire Trust (TWT), Southampton. As part of Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health, TWT designed and delivered culturally appropriate services:  a training programme and Befriending services to reach out to local BME communities, reduce the stigma and fear of mental health services and encourage more people to use community provision.

Deliverables

• Educate people from ethnic minority communities about dementia – by delivering a series of 7 workshops: The power of the Memory, What is dementia? – An overview , The four stages of dementia, Communication skills and Dementia, Helping people with Dementia, Caring for people with Dementia
• Educate health and wellbeing professionals and other agencies about culture and differences –through the delivery of a workshop for partners to focus on addressing the components of culture and diversity in service design and delivery: the traditions, rituals, customs, ceremonies, taboos and languages of key ethnic minority communities.  Also an exploration of how professionals can improve their sensitivity in the delivery of dementia services.
• Train and develop people from ethnic minority communities to become Befrienders and bilingual Befrienders – the project will deliver a series of 7 workshops: Befriending and Statutory Agencies, Culture and Befriending, Equality and Socialisation, Risk Assessment and  Safeguarding, The Role of the Befriender and Dementia, Understanding Health Improvements, Clear Needs, New Ideas Personalisation Tool
  
• Train and provide advocates and bilingual advocates – through the delivery of a series of 8 x 6 hour workshops: Advocacy skills, Cultural Brokerage, Community Engagement, Understanding Health Improvements (accredited at Level 2), Safeguarding, Changes in Health and Social Care, Advocating for people with Dementia  -1 and 2
• All Befrienders and advocates will have CRB checks and HWS ID cards.
• Deliver services in the community acting as the link between the client and the rest of the community – DCED will deliver culturally appropriate Befriending and Advocacy support services from April – October 2013.

Timetable

• Phase 1, November – January Project planning, set up, awareness raising, development of learning resources, development of evaluation systems and stakeholder meeting 1.
• Phase 2, January – March Implementation: Culture workshops, Dementia workshops, Befriending training, Advocacy training, Advice sessions, DCED service design and stakeholder meeting 2.
• Phase 3, April – October Implementation: Befriending and Advocacy service delivery, Information provision and stakeholder meeting 3.
• Phase 4, September – October Sharing good practice, final project evaluation and stakeholder meeting 4.

Anticipated outcomes

DCED will deliver outcomes to create awareness in communities, stimulate early diagnosis, and improve the wellbeing for people with dementia. DCED will:

1. Identify and preserve skills the person with dementia has and promote positivity in retaining as much cognitive function, as appropriate. This will enable the patient to reassured that services are designed around them and their needs.
2. Impart knowledge and skills for the carer and Befriender to implement individualised support plans that identify the various innate needs of the person with dementia and state appropriate action in meeting their care requirement through the assessment, planning, interventions, identification of resources, sign-posting and evaluation processes. This approach gives assurances to the patient – let them have personal choice and control or influence over decisions about them.
3. Where possible, keeping the person with dementia informed of their support plan and promoting and maintaining their self-esteem.  Ensure they have support that helps them live their life.
4. Developing: the person with dementia, the community, family and friends, Befrienders and advocates to have the appropriate knowledge base, skills and attitude as an integral part in providing holistic care to people with dementia. In so doing, the person with dementia will live in an enabling and supportive environment where they feel valued and understood.
5. Enabling the person with dementia to be managed in their own homes in order to prevent major disruption in their daily lives and preserving their emotional, psychological and spiritual stability – they have a sense of belonging and of being a valued part of family, community and civic life.