Last week, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust marked Dementia Action Week with the launch of its new Dementia Strategy, which sets out to improve local care and support for patients living with dementia.
The new strategy focuses on improving identification of patients with dementia, completing good quality baseline assessments, strengthening patient care, and enhancing partnership working while recognising the vital role of carers.
To support the launch and raise awareness of dementia care, the Trust also organised and supported a range of activities for staff, patients and families for Dementia Action Week including an interview on Radio Redhill and a talk for carers, organised by Action for Carers Surrey, focusing on what to expect when a loved one is admitted to hospital.
The Trust's dementia teams also welcomed an engagement visit from the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Navigators, and held a dementia café - which provided a welcoming space for patients, families, staff and volunteers to connect.
Dementia Friends session was also delivered for hospital volunteers to increase understanding and confidence in supporting people living with dementia, alongside an information stand at East Surrey Hospital. This provided accessible guidance for patients, families and visitors, including information on the ‘About Me’ document to help staff understand individual preferences and needs, the Trust’s updated Dementia Strategy, and newly available activities and resources designed to enhance personalised, compassionate care for people living with dementia.
Commenting on the new strategy, Chris O’Connor, Consultant Admiral Nurse at the Trust said:
“This new strategy sets out a realistic plan for how we support patients living with dementia. It focuses on three key areas: delivering more person-centred care, ensuring we consistently identify patients living with dementia, and strengthening how we work with partner organisations as well as families and carers.
"We know that a hospital admission for someone living with dementia can often be distressing and disorientating, which makes increasing our understanding of dementia and how to best support patients and their families vital for ensuring better hospital experiences for everyone involved.”
"Doing this during Dementia Action Week also enabled us to strengthen awareness of dementia, promote personalised approaches to care, and importantly, increase engagement of patients, carers, volunteers and the wider community."