12TH UK Dementia Congress

Supporting well & working with the multi-disciplinary team

Nicki Bones

A little bit about us…

SweetTree Home Care Service began life in 2002 in Swiss Cottage, supporting general home care needs. 15 years on, we now have six specialists services, all individually led by highly experienced clinical managers, providing 2 to 24

hour care to individuals in their own home.

As we continue to grow and improve what we do, our ethos and culture remains the united heartbeat of everything we do…

The SweetTree commitment…

Supporting people to reach their full potential

Compassionate care is central to our ethos

What is the most important question for anyone with dementia or their loved ones?

How does a dementia impact the person and a family?

And what would help?

The person

and their family

Early Diagnosis

& Shared Assessment

Knowledge and

Information

Care and Support

Regular Review

Plan together

Work together Review together

Evolve together

A clinically led circle of assessment and support

Plan

• Supporting a Timely diagnosis is potentially a gateway to living well with dementia and gives a call to action (Mitchel et al 2013)

• A diagnosis from a specialist memory clinic can open doors to vital support and services

• Sharing of assessments and information

Do

• Expert medical advice

• Affording the person with dementia the opportunity to express their wishes to key people in their lives and deal with their affairs

• Signposting to experts specialities; Physiotherapists, OT, Memory Services, Dementia UK, Alzheimer's Society, Support Groups, Clubs, Art Groups.

Review

• Recognising there is not a ‘one size fits all’ strategy. Pulling a strategy together and then review it continuously together

• Being imaginative and holistic when putting support in place – joining the journey

Continue to evolve and empower

• Research suggests that people with dementia wish to be informed and supported to plan for their future with an understanding of their illness. We are ensuring lives continue to be fulfilled

• Listening each step of the way and enabling redirection not crisis management

What resources?

What else can be done?

Build a circle of support that is clinically led, with shared

assessment, regularly reviewed to build better outcomes with

clear agreed strategies

Have clear pathways and resources – known to all

Promote excellent dementia training for the multi-disciplinary

team and friends and families

Let outcome measurement be standard to support well-being

for clients and families

Ensure high quality care with continuity

Reduce hospital admission and failed care placement

Involve charities, therapies and the community – working

together

Re-directing resources to plan not crisis manage

Encourage social inclusion – and work together to educate our

communities

Let’s consider…

Do we work together to work towards the best outcomes?

Are people actually trapped by their disease or

by their social context?

Do we even ask the right questions?

Admiral Nursing• Teach skills for managing at home• Offer advice and guidance• Undertake risk assessments• Assist with challenging behaviour• Connect you to relevant services• Advise on medical and legal choices• Liaise with other professionals • Provide care for family carers

Internal Expertise

Clinical Psychology and CST• ABC – Activators / Behaviours

Consequences • Discovery and support• Cognitive Stimulation Therapy

Rikki Lorenti, Admiral Nurse

Dr Aimee Spector,Clinical Psychologist

Quality of Life Outcomes

Can you live well with Dementia?

Working Together

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Thank you for your time.

Any questions?