8. Hospitals

Objective 8. Improved quality of care for people with dementia in general hospitals

Conference – improving dementia care in general hospitals

The South West regional conference on improving dementia care in general hospitals, jointly organised by the South West Dementia Strategy Group and the British Geriatrics Society, was held at Exeter Racecource on Tuesday 26 January 2010.

The conference brought together leads for improving dementia care in hospitals from acute and community hospital settings to consider how to develop and measure an effective process of change based on practical examples from across the South West. Conference delegates also sought to identify how to align this agenda with trusts’ corporate and performance management priorities across the region.

Download the presentations from the plenary session and the innovative practice workshops.

Bath and North East Somerset

The Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust dementia strategy working group was set up in September 2008 to take forward an action plan developed by a multi-agency workshop which met in July 2008. The annual report details progress in delivering the action plan.

Download the Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust dementia strategy working group annual report

Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust has audited areas of good practice and areas for improvement in the hospital dementia pathway; results showed very good practice in discharge planning and end of life discussions with family and carer but lack of consistency in the identification and management of patients with dementia with an action plan now in place to meet a range of service improvement aspects and a new dementia pathway in place.

Contact: [email protected]

 

Somerset

Dementia champions on wards.
Contact: [email protected]

 

Bournemouth & Poole

Merrick Ward assessment unit- Staff training was comprehensive, learning outcomes were assessed. Simple, innovative ideas were evident such as the clothing identification system, which promotes and maintains patient dignity. These ideas could be rolled out extensively.
Contact: [email protected]

 

Swindon

Victoria Centre and Acute Trust. Examples included life story work led by the drama therapist; the physiotherapist in the Victoria Centre extending knowledge and experience of dementia through the inclusion of the Centre in the rotation of physiotherapists within the general hospital; mental health liaison nurse training; the work of the Kings Court Research Centre.
Contact: [email protected]

 

Cornwall

Cornwall’s dementia liaison team, community hospitals and links with care homes.
Contact: [email protected]

 

Dorset

In Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust the Barnes Unit is a new facility for older people with dementia (the first of its kind in a South West Acute Hospital Trust) which offers a supportive environment for patients at risk of dementia as they receive medical treatment for other health conditions.
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

 

 

Bristol Older People’s Psychiatric Liaison Team

NHS Bristol has a mental health liaison team that works in wards where there is a high proportion of people with of dementia. The team offers rapid specialist mental health assessment and follow-on reviews alongside treatment of the primary condition leading to admission, resulting in increased accuracy of assessment, diagnosis and timely and appropriate treatment. Collaboration with hospital social work and discharge nurse teams helps maintain the independence of patients with dementia, increasing return home rates, reducing lengths of stay where appropriate and resulting in fewer unnecessary delays and readmissions.

Ward teams, hospital social workers and other staff are trained to better identify and manage dementia, making it easier to treat primary medical conditions.

Contact: Emma Bird, Commissioning Manager for Older People, NHS Bristol, telephone 0117 984 1512, fax 0117 900 2690.