Project Description

“Living Well With Dementia: A Dementia Strategy” published by the Department of Health in 2009, defined a clear relationship between poor health and the role of caring, with estimates that those providing high levels of care are twice as likely to have poor health compared with those without caring responsibilities. It is also though that carers’ can also experience significant strain from a lack of knowledge about the nature of the problem, the stigma associated with the caring role and ultimately personal relationship problems. They often who feel forced to give up work to care leaving them particular at risk of ill health and depressive illness due to social isolation, financial worries loss of self-esteem and confidence. Carers can also neglect their own needs because they are busy supporting someone else resulting in other health problems directly associated with the caring role such as stress and anxiety. High blood pressure and heart problems are often attributed to inappropriate lifting and moving. Bereavement is also associated with poorer mental and physical health and increased use of health services.

Much of this is avoidable or can be minimised by supporting carers to remain physically and mentally well, thereby addressing a key component of prevention and public health agendas. With this in mind, and following on from the closure of day hospital services, one mental health trust have continued to operate a small and bespoke day service offering short term places for services users who have dementia and require continued assessment and support around structured daily activities.

JMB Health Consultancy were tasked with 4 key objectives:

  • To establish the number of services users who have accessed the service since implementation
  • Define service outcomes for the Trust, service users, family / carers and commissioners
  • Scope future demands
  • Recognise opportunities for investment

Findings

Carers are not explicitly recognised as key partners in the provision of care however, as people who have the right to work and have the same life chances as everyone else, considerable progress has been made through service innovation to improve the lives of carers with this particular service undoubtedly contributing to this with evidence in the report of quality care, structured provision and a service that has been rated as excellent by 100% of carers of service users who attend.

The service therefore achieves some key strategic aims of the dementia strategy by:-

  • Providing valuable support and respite for carers
  • Permitting service users with dementia to remain within the community longer
  • Providing structure, stimulation and respect for dignity for those living with dementia.

It is recommended that in the light of new models of care and a move towards wrap around provision through improvements in primary care and prevention agenda’s, that that this service should be featured highly in future commissioning intentions. The Trust were advised in the report to ‘showcase’ provision, and highlight the benefits not only for service users but through the qualitative feedback, those family members and carers who within the context of the evaluation spoke of their total dependence upon services such as this. With an emphasis upon a ‘more of the same’ approach, the intention should be increasing sessions and replicating this through partnership working in the community.