Dementia Summit for Gloucestershire
19.11.2008
NHS and Social Care organisations are joining forces today to launch the first ever dementia summit for health professionals in Gloucestershire.
The event is a positive move and reflects one of the biggest challenges now facing society. It is estimated that over 570,000 people are living with dementia in England. The estimated figure for Gloucestershire is around 8,000.
Given the ageing population, this is a challenge that will only grow in size, with the number of people with dementia projected to double in the next 30 years.
The summit being held at Cheltenham Racecourse today (19 November - 9am to 4pm), also marks the launch of the National Dementia Strategy with the author, Professor Sube Banerjee, a key note speaker.
The Strategy, which is the focus for discussion at the summit, aims to improve awareness of dementia, both amongst the general public and amongst health and social care professionals.
There is also great focus on ensuring that the condition is diagnosed as early as possible to allow for early treatment and making sure high quality care and support is in place for both those with dementia and their carers.
Director of Clinical Change at Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, Jan Marriott said:
“Dementia can be a devastating disorder for both those who develop the illness and the families who care for them. We want Gloucestershire to be at the forefront of transforming services for the future and to respond positively to the major challenges that lie ahead.”
Hazel Watson, Director of Nursing, Social Care and Allied Health Professionals at 2gether NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“Dementia can occur at any stage of adulthood and is not just a natural consequence of getting older. Raising awareness of the condition is an intrinsic part of our plan to ensure wider understanding. We are committed to continuing our work with local providers and all those concerned so that we can reduce onset, delay progression and improve quality of life.”
In Gloucestershire, we have already started to enhance our services and support people who care by:
- developing a training programme for staff working in care homes to assist them in understanding the impact of dementia on the people they care for
- running regular training programmes for the carers and family members of people who are diagnosed with dementia to increase their knowledge, support them in their role and provide information about what services are available to help them carry on caring
- funding dedicated mental health trained staff to support the staff working in general and community hospitals so that they are better equipped to care for patients who may have dementia who need to be in hospital for a while.
In line with the national strategy, NHS and social care organisations in Gloucestershire will be developing a comprehensive work programme for the next three years. This will also involve the voluntary sector and the independent sector as well as people with dementia and their carers.
