Leading professor impressed with dementia e-learning

Professor Don Berwick, the global guru on health care quality and improvement management, made the long journey from the USA to Pontefract in January to see the work South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is doing as part of the Wakefield vanguard, Connecting Care.
The vanguard’s role is to join up health and social care services in the district. The Trust leads on making sure that prevention and mental health is central to the plans.
Professor Berwick got to hear from Sharon Carter, transformation programme manager, about our ‘portrait of a life’ e-learning for people with dementia. This makes a real difference to the lives of some of the Trust’s most vulnerable service users by promoting engagement, helping with behaviour and allowing for more meaningful care planning.
It has been designed to provide people who work in health and care settings – including NHS and care homes – with the skills and knowledge to conduct life story work.
Professor Berwick said what he had heard and seen in terms of positive experiences and outcomes was “mind blowing”.
Between October 2015 and December 2016, 11 care homes and one assisted living facility were trained and supported with portrait of a life resources. Applying this learning in the workplace has created many benefits including supporting residents to produce over 45 life story products ranging from personal storyboards and journals to crocheted blankets and poems.