A New

Approach to
Dementia
Care
in Hospitals
Phil Pordes
Privacy & Dignity Matron
The way it was …
o Good care was
inconsistent across
wards and departments
o No identified senior
clinician to lead on
quality improvement
o Environment not
conducive to those with
cognitive impairment
o Training and education
for staff was limited
The Dementia Care
Pathway Group

• The creation of a pathway

• Training and education
• Leadership
• The environment
• Patient and carer
engagement
ACHIEVEMENTS
Care Pathway / Guidelines
Recommendations 3 & 7

• Electronic dementia care pathway in the form of

user-friendly guidelines and prompts
• Guidance taken from NICE, the National
Dementia Strategy, lessons learned through
complaints, and local and national best practice
• Pathway covers:
– Their first 24 hours in hospital
– Their in-patient stay
– Discharge planning KEY
Involve patients, carers, family and
friends in the care planning
process from admission
Training and Education
Recommendation 5

• “Respect” course
• Customer care training programme
• Study days
• Links to Cheshire East
• Links to Cheshire Hospice Education
• Learning and development
• Job swap!
Leadership Recommendations 3 & 5

• Clinical lead identified

• Close relationship with liaison
psychiatry
• Executive support
• Financial investment
Environment 1 Recommendation 6

• Coloured doors
– “I always look for the colour when I
come back from the toilet.”
Patient B with no cognitive impairment

• Signage
– Patient A – with dementia – reported not
being able to find the toilet before the
signage was installed, resulting in
frequent incontinence which has now
resolved as she is able to find her own
way to the toilet and return to her
bedside
– Nurse A reported that less time is spent
directing visitors within the ward
Environment 2 Recommendation 6

• Communication friendly menus

• Memory aids
• Activity Lounge
– Increased privacy,dignity and autonomy reported by
patients
and visitors/families
Patient and Carer
Engagement Recommendation 7

• Complaints feedback / meetings

• Patient carer representation
• Outside links
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Nutrition Recommendations 8 & 9

• Nutritional guidelines
• Protected mealtimes
• ‘Red Plate’ scheme
• Volunteer feeders
• Relative involvement
Staff Awareness

• OPERA magazine

• Privacy and Dignity roadshows

• Audit (Essence of Care, Dignity
Challenge)
• Dementia tea party
• Privacy and Dignity policy
What next?

• To meet future challenges

• Be innovative
• Build upon what we have achieved so
far
• Share best practice
– East Cheshire
– signage to be used by NWSHA at
conference in Bolton in December
Thank you …

… for listening.

Questions?