Meeting documents

Apologies were received from Mrs Lindsay Rowlands.  There were no changes in membership.

There were no declarations of interest.

Contributors:

• Margaret Aston, Chairman of the Dementia Services Task and Finish Group

Purpose:

The Chairman of the Task and Finish Group will outline the reasons for the review.

Papers attached:

·        Dementia Services Scoping Document

·        Living well with dementia – A National Dementia Strategy : Chapter 4: Early diagnosis and support

Margaret Aston, Chairman of the Dementia Services Task and Finish Group, welcomed everyone and explained that the purpose of the Task and Finish Group is to look into dementia services countywide.  The review is due to finish early next year and she explained that by the end of it, Members will have spoken to as many people as possible.  Mrs Aston went on to say that Dementia is a very topical issue and has already started to generate a lot of public interest.  She said that she had been involved in a radio interview on the subject earlier that day following a press release sent out by the Communications team.

Contributors:

Ken Dorling, Locality Manager, Berks, Bucks & Oxon, Alzheimer’s Society, and Ann Whiteley, Carers Bucks

Purpose:  To specify the benefits of early diagnosis and to outline the services in place in Buckinghamshire to support those with dementia and their carers

Papers attached:

·        Alzheimer’s Society Services in Buckinghamshire

·        Executive Summary – National Dementia Declaration

The Chairman introduced Ken Dorling, Locality Manager, Berks, Bucks & Oxon from the Alzheimer’s Society.  Mr Dorling started by saying that the Alzheimer’s Society was formed 31 years ago and there were over 250 branches across the UK at that time which gave rise to disparity and created a postcode lottery regarding access to services.  The Trustees decided to create 49 localities in the UK with the aim of having more services in more places and the new structure came into effect on 1 April 2010.  The main focus for the organisation has moved away from the carer to the person suffering from the condition.

In Buckinghamshire, there are branches in Beaconsfield, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes so they can pool their resources.  There are 6 part-time staff across the North and South of the County and Mr Dorling explained that he can move staff from Milton Keynes as well so it provides a greater level of flexibility within the organisation.

Mr Dorling explained that there are a number of services running across the County and he mentioned the "Bee-Friending" scheme which has been running for around 18 months.  It is run by trained volunteers (currently 30) and acts like a "buddy system" and people with dementia are teamed-up with people of a similar profile in order to get the best match possible.  This service provides 100 hours of client contact per month and also allows for respite for the carer.  It has proved to be very valuable.  Mr Dorling said that he hoped to add another 15 volunteers to the service this year and the volunteers receive very intensive training across 5 sessions.

Mr Dorling went on to say that another valuable service which the organisation provides is "Singing for the Brain" which provides an opportunity for carers and people with dementia to enjoy time together in a safe environment.  He said that around 70 people currently attend the weekly sessions in Beaconsfield.  The sessions run for 5 weeks and then there is a 2 week break.  Mr Dorling read out a couple of very positive testimonies from people who have attended the sessions.  These are attached for information.

The sessions are part funded by a prevention grant and the balance is raised through voluntary fund raising.   Mr Dorling explained that it isn’t just about signing, it is a structured activity.  He went on to say that there are people who attended the sessions at various stages of the condition.  A member of staff has to attend the sessions as part of the health and safety requirements.

[Mike Appleyard arrived at 10.35am]

Mr Dorling told Members about Memory Cafes which are specially designed for people suffering with dementia.  He explained that the sessions are designed to be very inclusive and can help carers and sufferers by providing information on legal issues, the benefits available to them as well as presentations on Health & Safety and Fire prevention issues.  He said that these have been very successful to date and he  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Contributor:

·        Carer of a person with dementia

Purpose:  To hear a personal account of how it is to care for someone with dementia, including their experiences following the diagnosis, and support and services available.

The Chairman welcomed Mrs Renee Kennedy and explained that Mrs Kennedy would be providing an account of what it is like to care for someone with dementia.

Mrs Kennedy started by explaining that it was about 6 years ago when she first noticed that her husband was acting strangely.  He was diagnosed with dementia and they lived with this for a couple of years.  Mrs Kennedy said that it was so sad to see him deteriorate so quickly and in the end she could not let him go out on his own.  He kept falling over and in the end he was admitted to hospital and put on a geriatric ward where the nurses thought he was just being rude.  He spent two months in hospital and at the end of this time, he was unable to walk out of hospital having been able to walk in.  Mrs Kennedy felt that it was not appropriate for her husband to have been admitted to hospital and felt that the physiotherapy which he received in hospital could have been administered at home.

Mrs Kennedy said that her husband is now in a very good nursing home in Stone where his care is excellent and the help and support for relatives is excellent.  She sits on the Care Home’s Committee and feels that there is a "family" atmosphere at the home.  She went on to say that music is very important for dementia sufferers.  Her husband is now bed ridden but he still recognises her and she keeps a memory box for him with items from his past such as sporting trophies, a tennis ball and a golf ball.

Mrs Kennedy explained that when her husband was first diagnosed, they did not get much help and they had to delve around to find useful information.  She mentioned that the Red Cross had been supportive and her husband had attended various activities arranged by them.

During discussion, Members asked the following questions and raised the following issues.

• GP surgeries need to be looked at.  A Member said that in his local surgery, a booklet listing all useful organisations was put in the waiting area but when the GP was asked about the booklet, he knew nothing about it.  The Member felt that the local organisations had spent a lot of time developing the booklet but the GPs seemed unaware of it.
• Ann Whiteley, from Carers Bucks, explained that it can be difficult to get past the practice manager in some GP surgeries.  She felt that if there could be more engagement directly with GPs, it would be better.  Ms Whiteley explained that Carers Bucks has a volunteer who goes around to the local surgeries to place the right information in the waiting areas and speaks to the receptionists/practice managers about what is available.  She went on to say that the number of GP referrals to Carers Bucks has increased over the years.
• A Member spoke from personal experience and was not convinced that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The next meeting will take place on Friday 26 November 2010 at 10am in Mezz 1.

The next meeting will take place on Friday 26 November at 10am in Mezz Room 1.