New initiative improves care for older people
South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust, which provides mental health and learning disability services to people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, has launched a new resource for staff working with older people with dementia.
South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust, which provides mental health and learning disability services to people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, has launched a new resource for staff working with older people with dementia.
The ‘Dementia Toolkit’ has been commissioned by the Trust to support staff in dementia care services. It forms part of a project to ensure older people continue to receive the best possible care that is suitable to their individual needs, and that they are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
The toolkit gives ideas about how to best care for people with dementia and their carers and answers questions such as, ‘what strategies can I use to better communicate with a person who has dementia?’ and ‘how can I alleviate carer stress?’ The toolkit also provides information on training opportunities to help staff plan their personal development and improve their skills.
The Trust is the main provider of services for older people with mental health problems in the Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield areas. Services are provided in hospitals, care homes and in individuals own homes in our local communities.
Assistant director of older people’s services Sue Barton said, "The Trust respects and values every person that uses our services as an individual. We are committed to providing high quality care and constantly strive to develop and progress the services that we offer. The toolkit helps us maintain high standards of care and make improvements at the same time."
Research fellow, Rebecca Spencer who led the Dementia Toolkit project said, "The toolkit was developed by staff from a range of disciplines across older people’s services so its content reflects their key concerns and interests and is specially tailored to their needs. It is hoped it will help staff develop and improve the care they provide for older people so that we can continue to provide a first rate service to our communities."