Dementia services in Wakefield shortlisted for prestigious awards

Services for older people with dementia living in Wakefield, provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, have been shortlisted for the Dementia UK Awards 2009.

The Dementia UK awards are sponsored by the University of Stirling (a recognised lead in research on people with dementia) and provide an opportunity to celebrate the important work carried out to improve the quality of life for people with dementia.

This year’s awards are due to be presented at a two-day international conference in York on 15th and 16th September. Two services provided by the Trust have been shortlisted; the discharge liaison service and the continence service.

The discharge liaison service, which has been shortlisted for the Best Innovation in Practice Award, provides unique and specialist care for older people with dementia by ensuring they are appropriately supported to function to their best of their ability in their own homes, rather than in a hospital or care setting.

The continence service, whose lead nurse Jane Spencer has been shortlisted for the Dementia Nurse of the Year Award, helps people with dementia manage incontinence problems via diet and lifestyle techniques, as well as educating carers on the condition.

Incontinence is often the determining factor in a relative or carer of someone with dementia deciding they can no longer cope and putting their loved one into care. Lead nurse Jane has developed several approaches to help tackle the problem and by sharing them with relatives and carers, as well as with fellow practitioners, has dramatically reduced episodes of incontinence across the Trust.

Assistant director of older people’s services Sue Barton said, "It Is fantastic news that these two invaluable services have been shortlisted for such high profile awards. Both make a dramatic difference to the quality of life of local people with dementia and I hope they get the recognition they deserve."