Keeping up to Date

Whether you are newly in post and supporting a person with dementia or undertaking some continual professional development, please make contact with the East Dunbartonshire Dementia Network.   The Network offers home visits, outreach services, Dementia Cafes and Dementia Awareness Training.

Background

Dementia is one of the foremost public health challenges worldwide. As a consequence of improved healthcare and better standards of living more people are living longer. In Scotland the number of people with dementia is expected to double between 2011 and 2031. This presents a number of challenges, most directly for the people who develop dementia and their families and carers, but also for the statutory and voluntary sector services who provide care and support.

Over time it is expected that a greater proportion of health and social care expenditure will focus on dementia. There are no easy solutions and transformation will take time. The Scottish Government Dementia Strategy 2017-20 sets out plans for the next three years aligned with a 2020 Vision for health and care in Scotland. These documents set out frameworks which seek to enable all people, including those with dementia, to Live Well for longer at home or in a homely setting. This will be backed by an Integrated Health and Social Care system with a focus on various areas including supported self-management and community-based health treatment

East Dunbartonshire will become a Dementia-friendly Community and this will help to tackle the isolation and depression often felt by people with dementia and help them remain connected to their friends and neighbours. There are Dementia Ambassadors and Dementia Champions working within East Dunbartonshire.

Having a highly skilled workforce at all levels is essential to delivering the best quality care and support to a person with dementia and their carers.

Key Resources

Dementia Care Standards These standards have been developed to help people with dementia and their carers understand their rights, and how these rights can help make sure that they receive the support they need to stay well, safe and listened to.

Promoting Excellence: A Framework for all Health and Social Services Staff Working with People with Dementia, their Families and Carers.  NES/SSSC. This sets outs the expectations about the knowledge and skills the whole of the health and social service workforce must have. This includes staff working in acute hospital wards, care homes and care at home services and addresses the skills needs of professionals with a variety of roles including consultant psychiatrist, care at home support worker or gardener in a care home. As well as ensuring the support of those with dementia, the framework also provides knowledge and skills guidance for those who may develop dementia, or those who recently diagnosed with dementia, their carers and families.  Dementia Ambassadors and Dementia Champions are working across Scotland to embed the Promoting Excellence framework in their localities.

Equal Partners in Care (EPiC) is a joint project between the SSSC and NES to implement the workforce education and learning elements of the Caring Together, the carers strategy for Scotland 2010-15, and Getting it Right for Young Carers. The aim of the project is to support NHS and social services staff to work with (unpaid) carers and young carers to achieve better outcomes for all involved in the caring relationship.

Focus on Dementia this programme website is supported by the Joint Improvement Team, Alzheimer Scotland, the Scottish Government Mental Health Division and QuEST and provides Information to support health and social care partnerships to improve practice and care for people with dementia.

Dementia Managed Knowledge Network  (MKN) Any person who is interested in improving care and support for people with dementia, and their families and carers, can join this network. The dementia MKN offers up-to-date information, new resources and opportunities for discussion. Sign up for alerts and newsletters to keep up to date.

Alzheimer Scotland The largest dementia charity in Scotland and a partner in the East Dunbartonshire Dementia Network.  The organisation offers training, events, information on dementia, local Dementia Advisors, Dementia Nurses in Health Boards, as well as having contracts to provide care for Local Authorities and care services which can be purchased privately.

Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC ) A centre of excellence for training and education which helps to grow the confidence, knowledge and skills that make a difference to people with dementia, improve professional practice and enhance careers. DSDC can deliver the right training and education whether you are a family carer, staff working in primary care, acute care, housing, social care, voluntary sector; or a commissioner of dementia services.

Elearning: The Open Dementia Learning Programme. SCIE 2009 Learn at your own pace with structured modules. The programme is suitable for care home staff (carers, administrative and managerial staff), domiciliary care workers, registered general, mental and district nurses, general and acute hospital staff, allied health care professionals, social workers, ambulance service staff, community support workers (meals on wheels, transport services) and family carers. These resource are aimed at those working  in England but may be useful to workers in Scotland too.

Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh The facility provides a high-quality research environment for investigations into the causes and treatment of dementia, and care provided by relatives and friends. It aims to commission and build a balanced portfolio of scientific and clinical research and develop and maintain a dementia brain tissue bank.

Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice at the University of the West of Scotland. Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice is a partnership with the University of the West of Scotland and provides a high quality environment for applied research, education and social enterprise.

The Chartered Institute of Housing has published a Dementia Pathways Practice Guide which is aimed at front line housing staff. Housing practitioners, working with their partners, are well-placed to lead meaningful change in the way people live with dementia while improving community understanding and acceptance.