Download Changes to the hospital environment

Dementia Action Alliance – Sept 2013 Update
Apply for funding

Apply for funding from external organisations
Funding has now been secured.
Changes physical environment – Initial scoping

Change internal and external physical environments on piloted wards
to create calm, healing and therapeutic space
The Trust has now secured funding to enable changes to the hospital
environment. These will focus upon the care of the elderly wards including
plans to ensure patients have secure access to outside space; coloured
identification of each bay to promote orientation; provision of occupation and
stimulation resources; specialised clocks and contrasting toilet seats.
Expand the criteria of the Dementia MDT

Expand the criteria of the dementia MDT to engage different
directorates to attend and raise the profile for people with dementia
The Dementia MDT has focused upon devising a strategy for implementing
key objectives from national and local initiatives to improve the care and
experience of people with dementia and their carers. The executive board
have given full support to this action plan.
The Dementia MDT will be expanded next month to include clinical case
review. This will involve a representative from different wards and
departments presenting a recent situation where they would like to highlight
examples of good practice or discuss a situation where they would like advice
and support. Both areas of good practice and areas for learning will then be
disseminated throughout the Trust.
Training Programme – Initial Scoping

Ensure a continuous training programme is fit for purpose
A three level training programme has been devised and is currently being
implemented for all staff throughout the Trust.
Dementia Care Training – Planning

Deliver our agreed dementia care training programme
All Heads of Departments (clinical and non-clinical) are currently undertaking
Level 1 training and ensuring basic dementia awareness within their teams.
Level 2 training is being encouraged for all clinical staff whilst the Level 3
course (3 day course based on the Bradford Dementia Group) is being
accessed by all levels of senior nursing staff. These courses are running
monthly and have been extremely well evaluated with experienced staff
describing how it has transformed their practice. Training includes a session
from an independent organisation (Action for Family Carers) to ensure staff
are equipped to support carers. Candidates are asked to demonstrate how
the training has changed their practice and practice within their department.
The Trust is also encouraging e-learning using the SCIE Dementia Gateway
which staff report to find extremely beneficial.
All doctors new to the Trust in August 2013 received Dementia Awareness
information and have access to an online dementia training module. Plans
are being made to include Dementia Awareness training in the Trust Doctors
Induction Programme.
Use Assessment Tools – Initial Scoping

Measure patient and carer experience through meaningful
assessment tools
The Dementia Specialist and a Senior Nurse have accessed training to
enable them to implement the ‘QUIS’ (Quality of Interactions Schedule, Dean,
Proudfoot & Lindesay, 1993) assessment tool. This assessment tool will be
piloted over the next few months on the two care of the elderly wards and the
emergency assessment unit to gain a meaningful insight into the experience
of people with dementia. The wards will then be responsible for devising
action plans to improve care as appropriate.
The Trust is committed to providing safe, high quality care to people admitted
to hospital with dementia. Involving carers and taking their expert knowledge
into account is recognised as essential to the provision of personalised care to
patients with dementia. With this in mind we have developed a questionnaire
to seek the views of persons acting as carers for people diagnosed with
dementia admitted to Broomfield Hospital. By looking at the responses, we
aim to identify what we do well and where we need to improve.
Butterfly Scheme – Implementation

Continue to implement and evaluate the Butterfly scheme
The newly established Dementia Champion Group has focused initial
meetings identifying actions to ensure the Butterfly Scheme is embedded into
practice. The Lead Nurses are supporting with the implementation.
There is on-going evaluation of the Butterfly scheme; responses are pooled
monthly via the carer’s questionnaire. The results and trends are reported to
our commissioners and disseminated amongst the hospital staff for reflection
and learning via the Dementia Champion Group.
Develop Services

Work with external agencies, patients and carers to ensure services
develop to meet the needs of patients and carers.
The Trust have invited the Dementia Support Manager from the local
Alzheimer’s Society to approve the Dementia Training Information which all
staff will receive and the Dementia Information Leaflet which will be available
for patients and their carers.
Develop Services - Implementation

Work with external agencies, patients and carers to ensure services
develop to meet the needs of patients and carers.
The Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group fund a service commissioned
from Action Fro Family Carers which is a carers support charity affiliated to
the Carers Trust nationally. A minimum of 50% of referrals from the Trust to
this service relate to patients and their carers either with a formal diagnosis of
dementia or presenting with significant long term cognitive impairment.
The Dementia Support Manager from the local Alzheimer’s Society has
agreed to attend the regular Dementia MDT by invite.
The Trust have developed a pathway with the local mental health hospital to
enable patients with dementia who require an X-Ray to have direct access to
radiology avoiding the need to attend the Emergency Department which can
be extremely distressing.