Progress in care for South West dementia sufferers

SIGNIFICANT progress is being made in improving services for those with dementia and their carers, according to health chiefs and councils across the region.

The South West Strategic Health Authority (SWSHA) says the area is taking the lead in driving forward improvements in dementia care, as it aims to deliver the requirements of the National Dementia Strategy ahead of the national five-year timetable.

That message has been backed by the Alzheimer’s Society during Dementia Awareness Week. The charity says it is “pleased with the advances” that have been made since the launch of the Dementia Awareness campaign last year.

The campaign, supported by The Herald and its parent company Northcliffe, was unveiled last year by local councils, NHS Primary Care Trusts and the SWSHA, along with the Alzheimer’s Society.

The organisations, which have formed the South West Dementia Partnership, aim to raise awareness of the condition, dispel the myths surrounding it, improve diagnosis and care and ensure that people with dementia and their carers can get the vital support they need.

There are around 750,000 people in the UK with dementia and this is expected to increase more than threefold in the next 50 years.

In the South West alone, there are estimated to be some 76,000 people living with dementia and experts project that this figure will rise to more than 91,000.

Debbie Donnison, South West area manager for the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “In the South West we have seen real progress. However, there is still work to be done to ensure people with dementia and their carers receive the quality care and support they need to live well with dementia.

“One in three people over 65 will die with dementia. The South West Dementia Partnership must continue to lead the way and work together to end the postcode lottery of service provision that many people with dementia currently face.”

Sir Ian Carruthers, OBE, chief executive of the SWSHA, said: “A number of health and social care partners have been working on integrated pilot projects in dementia care and the findings are very encouraging.

“A clear picture is emerging of how services can be improved and we are committed to ensuring that the South West leads the way in delivering the improvements that people living with dementia rightly expect and deserve.”

In a survey released last year as part of the campaign, people with dementia and carers from across the South West were asked to rate the support available to them. While there were comments in support of the services, many people called for improvements.

Respondents said more training was required for staff members at local authorities and in the NHS. Others said there should be more relevant information available to the general public about the condition and that it should be more accessible.

Many respondents wanted to see more services such as memory cafes — a facility where people with dementia and their carers can visit to share information.

The survey was released in June last year online, in newspapers and in leaflets, and the results have been analysed by Northcliffe Media.

Health and social care partners around the region say they are working closely together to address the issues raised by the survey and through the National Dementia Strategy which was launched by the Department of Health last year. It sets out plans to increase awareness of dementia, ensure early diagnosis and intervention, and improve the quality of care given to people with dementia.

Establishing the dementia campaign was key part of the region’s response to the strategy.

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.”

For information on work across the region to improve the experience of people living with dementia, and people supporting them, visit www.southwestdementiapartner ship.org.uk