What is being done?

A Bristol-wide partnership to recruit, train and support dementia champions, so that people with dementia  who are admitted to hospitals in  Bristol, receive high quality care that  is consistent in approach and delivery.

The launch and initial champions’ day held in December 2011 included:

• Involvement of people with dementia, carers and the Alzheimer’s Society
• Shared work from both Trusts
• Senior leadership presence
• Staff from a wide variety of roles including volunteers.
• Time to share good practice
• Positive focus on improvement

Messages Champions plan to take back to the workplace

• Dementia patients are the responsibility of all staff
• To raise awareness and provide support
• To improve communications between staff with both the patient and carer
• Provide encouragement
• Compassion
• How to give the right care
• ‘This is me’ leaflet
• Every individual is unique
• Treat everyone as a person and always be respectful
• How to improve our care

What is new and different?

• A partnership to ensure consistency wherever a person is admitted within Bristol
• The role of the Dementia Champion has been developed and launched
• The aim is to have a Dementia champion available in each clinical area and department with more being recruited in the next 6 months.
• The Champion will be a resource for staff and patients/carers when they visit the department or are an inpatient.
• A key focus of this work is the number of non-clinical staff who are keen to undertake this role.

Plans for taking the project forward

• Each Trust updating intranet dementia resources to have a Champions site
• Further Champions’ day being planned for 2012
• WRVS funding for dementia training post
• Champions to be enabled to access e-learning via Skills4Health