The North Wales Regional Partnership Board organised an event to showcase and celebrate some of the good work going on around dementia across North Wales.
Dementia Listening Campaign
The listening campaign involved speaking to people about dementia services, asking the following questions:
- What does good dementia care look like?
- What should be available for people living with dementia?
- What does community mean to you?
- What are the things that will help people living with dementia?
Details of how the listening campaign was carried out by the 6 local authorities, which areas were targeted, and the key findings were presented. The findings will be used to help shape services and improve awareness of the services available to those living with dementia and their carers.
The next steps are to agree priorities, produce a vision, support community led action, and spread the listening campaign.
“Living better with dementia” film launch
Betsi Cadwaladr launched a series of five films designed to create a better understanding of dementia and help people to live as well as possible with dementia. The films cover the following topics: what is dementia, when to seek help, getting a diagnosis, living with dementia, and planning for the future.
The films are available in English with Welsh subtitles here
Haylo Theatre “swimming with memories”
The Haylo Theatre company performed a piece called “swimming with memories”.
It told the story of two people whose father had dementia, highlighting how a person living with dementia is more than just a name and a diagnosis, and how it is important to get to know the person. The performance also showed what it can be like for people caring for someone living with dementia.
North Wales Dementia Friendly Communities
The North Wales Dementia Friendly Communities Scheme was launched on the 1st January 2024, following the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friendly Communities Scheme ending on the 31st December, 2023. The scheme has been co-developed in close co-operation with the 6 Local Authorities, County Voluntary Councils and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
The North Wales Partnership Board will continue to work with local communities to raise awareness around dementia, implementing actions appropriate to the local community, and putting local people at the forefront.
Bangor University dementia research
Bangor University has been working on research around supporting people living with dementia and their carers. The research identified how some people experienced a lack of empathy, support was hard to find, and there is a lack of awareness of rarer forms of dementia. Findings identified the importance of peer support, and how even one person can make a big difference. Things that people wanted were: one person to contact, appropriate information and education around what to expect, and approaches to building resilience. In collaboration with the North Wales Dementia Network and Caban the ‘Knowledge is Power’ information pack was developed. The pack was designed by people living with dementia, for people living with dementia, including everything you need to know at the point of diagnosis.
The booklets can be viewed here but paper copies are also available.
Regional Memory Support Pathway
The pathway involves four organisations working together to support the Memory Support Pathway: Newcis, Alzheimer’s Society, Carers Trust North Wales, Carers Outreach Service. The service provides support to anyone worried about their memory and/or affected by dementia from pre-diagnosis to end of life ensuring they get the support they need, when they need it. It aims to ensure the support is in one place, with hospital navigators and dementia centres in each county across North Wales.
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service – Living safer
The North Wales Fire and Rescue Service offer a range of interventions to people at high risk from fire, for example older people living alone. Referrals can be made by anyone, the referral form is available here. The service demonstrated the Stoveguard Cooker Isolator, one of the many interventions available, a smart device for electric hobs/cookers whereby the hob is scanned by a sensor and the power isolated before a fire breaks out if unattended ‘oil/hot’ cooking is detected.
North Wales Police – Herbert Protocol
The Herbert Protocol encourages carers, family, and friends to provide and put together useful information, including contact numbers, medications, a photo, etc, which can then be used in the event of a vulnerable person going missing. The protocol has been promoted across North Wales resulting in the percentage of those missing with the forms in place increasing from 27% (April 2023) to 46% (February 2024). Using the Herbert Protocol means police can act promptly to reports of the missing person and reduces stress for families.
Welsh Ambulance Service – Dementia awareness
The Welsh Ambulance Service now delivers a day of dementia training to ambulance staff to help staff better support those with dementia. Ambulances have been refitted to make them dementia friendly changing colours, flooring, visuals, reducing noises, and access to RITA. RITA stands for Reminiscence/Rehabilitation & Interactive Therapy Activities it uses user-friendly interactive screens and tablets to provide entertainment for example listening to music, playing games, or watching films, which can help to keep the person calm whilst travelling in the ambulance.
Audiology dissemination plan
The audiology dissemination plan includes the development of a pamphlet on understanding hearing and sight problems and their links to dementia, and an animation on hearing loss and dementia. The animation was showcased at the event and will be rolled out across North Wales soon, to help promote the importance of dealing with hearing loss to help delay the progression of dementia symptoms.
My dementia journey
A person living with dementia shared their story and several scenarios where someone with dementia may become agitated or upset. This helped you to understand what they may be feeling and consider a different way to approach various situations. One example was to imagine someone knocks at your front door and when you answer they tell you it is time for your bath and then they enter your home, how would you feel?
More fun
During the day there was a gentle exercise session, where we learnt simple movements and put them together to do a dance. It was great fun, and certainly put a smile on everyone’s face.
Tweets and more photos from the day can be found here.
