Powys Dementia Conference

This conference was organised and hosted by Powys Teaching Health Board at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells on the 16th May and was attended by approximately 100 people. Our PAVO Health & Wellbeing Engagement officer Sue Newham attended the event and tells us more about it below.

Kirsty Williams, Chair of the Regional Partnership Board, opened the conference by saying that an ageing population was a reality for Powys now. She asked who was going to do the caring if working age people continue to leave for work elsewhere. Kirsty said that services in Powys couldn’t manage without the vibrant third sector that exists in the county.

All Wales Dementia Care Pathway of Standards.

Michaela Morris, the Dementia Programme Lead for |mprovement Cymru, gave a national overview on the All Wales Dementia Care Pathway of Standards.

Kim, a carer for her husband, gave a moving account of life with someone with Frontal Temporal Dementia. She explained that there are around 80,000 people with rare forms of dementia alive in the UK today.

Frances, who has been living with dementia for a number of years said that it felt like being a statue under the chisel of a sculptor, where bits kept getting knocked off. Frances shared some of the things she is no longer able to do, but also displayed a joyful sense of humour, which had people laughing. This picture shows her “testing” an electronic cat used as therapy on dementia wards. She said, “We’ve been expecting you, Mr Bond!”

Frances Isaacs - expecting Mr Bond. 

Round table discussions enabled all participants to discuss the Dementia Friendly Hospital Charter, with discussions around what families need to know when their loved one is in hospital. The next discussion was around what is available for those living with dementia in the community, and what should be available. The final discussion was about the Memory Assessment Service and what support families need/ should receive when people are going through the assessment and diagnosis process. Information, awareness raising and education featured in all the discussion topics. Findings will be collated and shared at a later date.

Over the lunch period, people were able to visit some of the stands provided by third sector organisations in the  side room. Dementia Matters in Powys were cycling the length of Wales as part of a Cyclathon to link with Dementia Awareness Week. At the end of the week 90 miles had been completed by members, carers, volunteers, DMiP staff and supporters! Connecting the equivalent distance from Welshpool, Newtown, Llandrindod Wells and Ystradgynlais in Powys.

Sue Newham - PAVO Health & Wellbeing.

Sue Newham, PAVO, said, “The conference was really well organised and very informative. So many people and organisations are working to improve life for those living with dementia, and their carers, that it’s hard to keep up with all the developments. As a carer for my mother who lived with dementia until her death last year, I am very aware of the sadness and practical difficulties that a dementia diagnosis can bring. I am glad that there is a real focus on coordinating care and improving the diagnosis process for patients.”

A notable part of the conference was a speech of thanks to Mel Sillett, who has worked closely with Powys Teaching Health Board to implement the All Wales Dementia Standards of Care. Mel has recently moved on to a similar role in Denbighshire. We wish her every success in her new role.

Mel Sillet - Moving to Denbighshire.

Other speakers included:

• Duane Stannard from the Dementia Home Treatment team

• Deborah Gerrard from Dementia Matters in Powys, talking about the Wales Dementia Standards work and the Powys task groups. 

• Staff from Welshpool Hospital talking about the changes they had made to caring for patients living with dementia, as part of The Butterfly Scheme

• Louisa Kerr from Powys Teaching Health Board covered  the Memory Assessment Service in Powys and reported a rise in diagnosis rates in Powys as a result of more consistent use of read codes. She also explained the DiaDem Cymru programme for diagnosing dementia in care home patients

• Debbie O’Shea explained the pathway for dementia assessment for people with learning disabilities

• Ian Dovaston from the NHS Executive talked about three initiatives aiming to improve dementia care in residential settings. Care Fit for VIPs is a free, online toolkit to help care homes improve the quality of their dementia care. Dementia Care mapping is a method of staff observation in care settings which follows a formal process. It's a way to measure the experience of people with dementia.He also talked about the Inpatient Practitioners’ Network.

• Linzi Shone, Head of Nursing for PTHB, updated attendees on the Dementia Friendly Hospital Charter.

• PCSO Aileen Stewart reminded people about the Herbert Protocol, which provides the police with important information about that person, should they go missing. 

• Sara Moon of My Improvement Network reported on RITA, which is short for Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities. It is a screen based tool used increasingly in care homes and hospitals across Wales to improve the quality of life of those living with dementia.

Tessa Craig from Public Health Wales.

Anybody interested in finding out more about dementia support in Powys is welcome to join us for our next Powys Dementia Network, scheduled for September in Brecon, date and venue to be confirmed.