Get the Picture with Social Care TV

Social Care TV programmes aim to bring real world examples to social care staff, managers, commissioners and trainers. Already up on the site are 25 videos covering topics such as dementia, personalisation and safeguarding vulnerable children, with more in the pipeline. Click here to view.

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Report from the Ministerial Summit on Dementia Research

One of the commitments made in the National Dementia Strategy was to hold a Ministerial Summit on Dementia Research. This took place on 21 July 2009. The independent report of the event is now available. Click here to view a copy!

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Alzheimer's Society and BUPA launch Dementia Champions Programme

The new programme aims to develop in-house leaders to champion good dementia care in their place of work and was successfully piloted in six Bupa care homes before the launch. By changing the culture of the workplace, the Dementia Champions programme aims to further improve quality of care and quality of life for people with dementia. Click here for further information.

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National Dementia Strategy Commissioning Conference

The DH National Dementia Strategy Implementation Team is hosting a commissioning conference on October 6 2009 in Central London.
Confirmed speakers include David Behan, DH, Director General responsible for the NDS, Gary Belfield, DH Director General responsible for commissioning. Workshops will be held on:
Assessing need, managing performance, Mental Health Payment by Results, Commissioning from a providers perspective.
More workshops to be confirmed. This event is open to commissioners in PCTs and Local Authorities. Registration is password protected. Please contact Rose.agyemang@dh.gsi.gov.uk to access the password.

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Partners in Care - A Training Package for Involving Families in Dementia Care Homes

Following admission to a care home, family and friends may feel uncertain as to how they now 'fit in' to their loved one's life. This training package, comprising a booklet and DVD, is designed to encourage family participation in the care home and develop a constructive partnership between staff in care homes, families and people with dementia.
The DVD and booklet provide material for four separate training sessions for use by mixed groups of relatives and care home staff. Each session explores a different theme: sharing information, sharing the care, developing supportive relationships and making it work. With a clear and flexible layout, group exercises and notes for the facilitator, this training package will enable professionals and relatives to develop positive and fulfilling ways of working together and improve the level of care for those with dementia. Click here to order your copy.

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Home Care - Is it Personal? Ceretas Annual Conference 10th June 2009

This year’s conference will centre on the key themes of personalisation within the independent care sector. Key themes include: Commissioning for the new agenda, What does ‘quality’ really mean, Dementia - National Framework, The challenges - how to do we make it happen?
Delegates will be equipped with tools and information that can be used in their daily management of services whilst at the same time looking at the policies and future direction of home care. Speakers include Cynthia Bower Chief Executive, Care Quality Commission, and
Stephen Burke Chief Executive, Counsel amongst others. For further details and to book your place click here.

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Implementing the National Dementia Strategy - Conference 18th May 2009, London

This conference brings together expert practitioners from local authorities, housing, health and third sector providers of dementia support services, this timely event highlights new strategy and assesses the principal challenges ahead. Important issues to be examined in-depth include:
Providing workforce-wide support for implementing the National Dementia Strategy, ensuring flexible care services to meet different support needs and Ways to improve dementia support in care homes. Click here for further information and to book your place!

National Dementia Strategy Launched

The first ever National Dementia Strategy is a landmark document that will transform the quality of dementia care. It sets out initiatives designed to make the lives of people with dementia, their carers and families better and more fulfilled. It will increase awareness of dementia, ensure early diagnosis and intervention and radically improve the quality of care that people with the condition receive. Proposals include the introduction of a dementia specialist into every general hospital and care home and for mental health teams to assess people with dementia.

Excellence in Dementia Care Award 2009

The excellence in Dementia Care award has been launched. Project funding of up to £7500 and professional development and support are available to nurses who wish to undertake projects that contribute to the National Dementia Strategy, in particular projects that will work directly with patients. Applicants must show clear evidence of need, user involvement in the development of the project and innovative ways of working.
Nurses working in community, outreach or acute settings are able to apply, the Closing date for applications is 26th January 2009. The QNI offers three professional development workshops for project leaders during 2009-10.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA ANNUAL EVIDENCE UPDATE 2008

The Later Life Specialist Library's Alzheimer's Disease and
Dementia Annual Evidence Update aims to provide healthcare
professionals with a clear path to the most important recent
evidence surrounding the five major types of dementias:
Alzheimer's; Vascular dementia; Dementia with lewy bodies;
Frontotemporal dementia; and mixed dementias.

The Dementia AEU provides bibliographies and clinical commentary on secondary research (systematic reviews, meta analyses and guidelines) from the last 14 months for the following topics: 1. Definitions, Diagnosis and screening; 2. Risk factors and aetiology; 3. Pharmacological treatments; 4. Non-pharmacological treatments; 5. Rehabilitation, practice and care standards; 6. Evidence on other Dementias. Full details can be found here.

See Me, Not Just the Dementia - CSCI Report

This Commission for Social Care Inspoection (CSCI) publication focuses on the experiences of people with dementia living in care homes and the quality of care provided. Both a summary and the full report are available.

Information about the Worried About Your Memory (WAYM) Campaign

The WAYM? campaign aims to raise awareness of dementia and its symptoms, and encourage people to seek help. In 2007, Alzheimer's Society piloted the campaign in 4,000 GP practices in the East of England, and in 2008 it will be rolled out to every GP practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Every GP practice will receive a campaign pack. This will include an educational CD-Rom about dementia, leaflets and posters to be displayed in waiting areas. People who request further information after reading the leaflet will be sent a more detailed information booklet about dementia. Download more information here.

Short Term Breaks (Respite Care) for people with Dementia Factsheet

The aim of this fact sheet is to provide commissioners, providers and planners with information on a variety of innovative models of short breaks. Click here for more info.

Toolkit for Strengthening the Involvement of People with Dementia

This toolkit augments the section ‘Involving service users and their carers' in ‘Everybody's Business - a service development guide' (DH 2005). The toolkit highlights areas of good practice in involving people with dementia in service planning, delivery and evaluation. More info can be found here