Agenda item

The Health and Wellbeing Board is asked to receive the report and agree the recommendations

(1)       Anne Tidmarsh (Director of Older People and Physical Disability and chairman of the Kent Dementia Action Alliance) said progress had been made in improving services for people with dementia and their carers and encouraged board members to visit the information stand in the meeting room.  She also introduced Sue Grattan (KMCS) and Emma Hanson (Head of Strategic Commissioning) who gave a presentation introducing the report.  Dr Liz Lunt followed this with a presentation from the GP’s perspective.

(2)       The report gave an overview of initiatives across Kent to improve access to a timely diagnosis of dementia and of improvements to services for patients and carers affected by dementia to ensure they are supported to live well with dementia and avoid unnecessary crisis events.

(3)       During the discussion it was said that: residents were not clear about the crisis support available; the availability of cognitive stimulation therapies varied across Kent; the single offer was welcome; and the hospital interface was important especially to avoid unnecessary discharge into permanent residential care;

(4)       The Board identified a need to: develop indicators that measured the outcome of the strategy and the impact of associated activity; address staff training to ensure staff in the independent and community sector were appropriately skilled to prevent unnecessary admissions to and longer stays than necessary in acute hospitals; campaign for an appropriate level of funding from central government for residential care services in Kent; and ensure the Accommodation Strategy reflected and built on the issues raised in the report.

(5)       Resolved that:

(a)       The report and presentations be noted;

(b)       Dementia be viewed as a long term condition with primary care taking an active role to promote timely diagnosis and the coordination of integrated care;

(c)        Progress be noted and the continuation of work to reduce the stigma of a diagnosis of dementia and continuing to increase support available to people affected by dementia be endorsed, so people feel able to come forward to seek a diagnosis and when doing so can be well supported through the process;

(d)       The Dementia Call to Action be endorsed and that CCGs and local authorities, working with their partners and local communities, fulfil the ambition that 67% of people with dementia have a diagnosis and access to appropriate post-diagnosis support by 2015;

(e)       Kent’s carers’ organisations together with KCC and the CCGs be tasked to review their plans in the light of the recently published Call to Action for Carers of People with Dementia to understand where further improvements can be made;

(f)        A full review of the acute pathway be conducted and the development of different models of care with increased skills and breadth of services in the private and voluntary sector in order to avoid unnecessary admission and support timely discharges be supported;

(g)       A formal link between the Kent Health and Well Being Board and the Kent Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) be recognised and that this be replicated by local HWWBs and their local DAAs, so that the contribution of the wider partnership to improve support to people with dementia and their carers could be acknowledged.