Establishing a new model of care is likely to be felt as a challenge and requires a cultural and even a language shift. Thinking about people living with dementia as having assets as well as problems, as being able to contribute to services, as needing not so much an increase in services as more access to opportunities , and undergoing a journey that is relatively predictable and can be managed proactively— all of this constitutes a step-change for the health and social care community.
A key concept here is the notion of co-production. Co-production has been defined as a,
“potentially transformative way of thinking about power, resources, partnerships, risks and outcomes… The transformative level of co-production requires a relocation of power and control, through the development of new user-led mechanisms of planning, delivery, management and governance.”
Co-production principles apply not only at the macro-level of service design but also at the micro-level of the relationship between the service user and the practitioner. This means a new way of working for everyone.
Furthermore, there are implications for workforce and resources, potentially requiring:
- new roles
- new skills
- rethinking of resources.
The South West Dementia Partnership has published a series of resources that will help address many of these issues, alongside a leadership programme to support the management of change. It is an ambitious programme, but one that the increasing numbers of people living with dementia need and deserve.
www.dementiapartnerships.org/workforce-development/
www.dementiapartnerships.org/leadership-programme/