Lead Organisation: North Wales Regional Partnership Board
Rhian Allen, Social Care Continuum, March 2024
Introduction
Following a review exploring engagement activities with people who are living with dementia and their unpaid carers in North Wales a small group of seldom heard communities was identified.
This report focuses on one of the identified group, those who have a sensory impairment, specifically who are deaf or have hearing loss.
Methodology
In order to understand the needs and requirements of supporting people with a hearing impairment a mixed methods approach was undertaken. This included desktop research as well as engagement with people living with hearing impairments.
Engagement
Deaf Club – Coffee Morning
Meeting the Deaf Club at their coffee morning in the COS offices was arranged with a BSL interpreter on the 20 February 2024. The group meet fortnightly for a coffee morning, as well as a social gathering they work together on projects and have guests visiting the group.
Eight members of the group were in attendance on the morning, some were deaf, and others were hard of hearing or hearing.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Agree to take forward the above priorities identified by the deaf group. Work to begin on Priorities 1 and 2 as soon as possible as this was a key message from the group. Suggested actions were to utilise the resources and expertise at COS which includes the Deaf Group who were keen to assist and work with staff in raising their confidence working with hearing impaired communities.
Recommendation 2: Develop a ‘Toolkit for All’ based on the BDA Scotland toolkit. Working with dementia services and the hearing impaired community develop a toolkit that is accessible to all which includes those working in the sector and people living with a hearing impairment and their carers. It is suggested that the Dementia Pathway services are key to this element from pre diagnosis to diagnosis of dementia.
Recommendation 3: Undertake the activities to develop awareness and training in a co productive way. The people who are living with hearing impairments and their carers are the experts by experience. In addition those who work in the different services are experts in their field. Bringing the two together to co produce the priorities identified will ensure an effective services for both those who are delivering and receiving support and care.