Dementia Care

Dementia Care at Bedford Hospital

Over 845,000 people in the UK have a diagnosis of dementia and it is reported that 25% of all hospital beds will be occupied by a patient with a type of dementia.

At Bedford Hospital we are committed to supporting people with dementia and their carers, to enable them to live well with Dementia.

We have an Admiral Nurse who can advise and support staff, patients and carers.

Claire Day – 01234 355122 ext. 3307 or 07393 267838

claire.day@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk

Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm

‘Dementia Champions’ are staff who have received additional training in dementia care, they are available in most departments and wards.

Hospital Journey Tracker

Bedford Hospital is working in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society to create a new Hospital Journey Tracker to help reduce the amount of time that people living with dementia spend in hospital unnecessarily.

The Hospital Journey Tracker is currently being piloted at the hospital, and we would like to invite you to be part of it. This is a unique opportunity to access a new resource, and to shape the support offered to people in a similar situation in the future.

What is the Hospital Journey Tracker?

The Hospital Journey Tracker is a system which emails status updates to a patient or named patient representative(s) to inform them of what is happening now and what is expected to happen next in a patient’s care. These updates might include that a patient is undergoing medical treatment, having tests, or that we are planning for them to leave hospital. They do not include any personal information, such as a patient’s name, date of birth, test results or diagnoses. Updates are sent only when the patient status is changed.

The updates are not intended to replace conversations with health professionals, but rather to make hospital processes more transparent. For this reason, the email will also contain contact details for the hospital and include links to further information.

For patients

If you agree to be part of the pilot, we will ask you to complete a consent form. This will include space for you to nominate a person to receive the updates if you wish, for example a relative, friend or carer.

For patient representatives

If you are supporting someone in hospital who has selected you as a patient representative, you will receive updates directly to your email inbox.

If the person you are supporting is unable to consent themselves, you may have the opportunity to opt in on their behalf. This decision will be made by hospital staff in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

If you change your mind, you can opt out of the pilot at any time by contacting Claire Day, Admiral Nurse – Clinical Lead.

Tell us what you think

As someone supporting a person with dementia in hospital, we would like to hear your views on the Hospital Journey Tracker – if you found it helpful and how it could be improved. Your feedback will help us to improve support for other people in a similar situation. You can tell us what you think with each status update and in a short survey once the hospital stay comes to an end.

How will my data be used?

Bedford Hospital will share information about your status updates with Alzheimer’s Society, which is a separate organisation. This data will not include any personal information (e.g. names, date of birth, contact details or test results). The data will be used solely for the purpose of testing and improving the Hospital Journey Tracker.

Any feedback you chose to share about your experience of the Hospital Journey Tracker will be shared with Alzheimer’s Society. Your comments may be used in publications but will not include any identifying information. You will be given information you chose to share will be removed.

At the end of the final survey, you will have the opportunity to provide contact details so that Alzheimer’s Society may inform you about further opportunities to be involved with the project. This is entirely optional. Any details you provide will be kept confidentially by Alzheimer’s Society and you will not be contacted for any other reason, including marketing purposes.

For further information contact Claire Day, Admiral Nurse – Clinical Lead by email or call 01234 355122 ext. 3307 or 07393 267838.

How useful has it been so far?

The Hospital Journey Tracker has already been tested at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital from March to June 2022. Feedback from people who had signed up to use the tracker found it incredibly useful, and a great informative tool to improve the discharge experience for people affected by dementia.

This is Me

The ‘This is Me’ booklet is a booklet that we ask the carer to complete for us. This could be the main carer, or a family member who knows the person best. The information gives a short biography of the person with Dementia. It enables staff to use this information to support communication, distractions, understanding likes and dislikes whilst providing an insight into the person. This information can help staff better understand how they can care for a patient should the person become agitated or anxious in a more familiar and reassuring way.

‘This is Me’ document.

Activities and Equipment

Ward areas are continuously gathering items and equipment to use as part of distraction and stimulation therapy for the person with Dementia. This helps staff and volunteers engage in meaningful activities with the person with Dementia, we are encouraging carers to utilise the various equipment we have, to offer a more stimulating environment.

Extended visiting & Support for ‘Johns Campaign’

COVID Update

We appreciate this is a difficult time for carers and relatives, and fully understand the importance of your continued support for the person living with Dementia while they are in hospital.

You are advised to contact the ward manager to discuss the options available to enable communication, support and to discuss the restrictions on visiting in that department during this period.

Please contact the Admiral Nurse on 07393 267838 should you require additional support.

People with Dementia may find it difficult to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings and faces, therefore we try to offer the main carer the chance to have unrestricted visiting. This enables the carer to be present at a time that is convenient for them and enables them to offer support to the person with Dementia, giving advice/guidance to staff, should they wish to. If you need to know more about this then please ask the Ward Sister/Charge Nurse.

Dementia Care Project

The Dementia Care Project is a project which enables us to provide the right equipment and stimulation activities for patients with Dementia. It will encourage them to stay as active and independent as possible even though they are in hospital. The aim is to help them recover better and be well enough to go home. The project relies on volunteers and staff to engage in interactive stimulation through Music, craft or simple chatting and reminiscence. Some wards have an activities co-ordinators who offer various groups and 1:1 sessions.

Herbert Protocol

Working with Bedfordshire Police, we are pleased to share their information gathering checklist to help assist with caring for individuals with Dementia.

The ‘Herbert Protocol’ is a short online form designed to help those suffering from Dementia, and offer peace of mind for their families. Should your vulnerable family member with dementia wander we have all the right tools to help find them efficiently and safely. Please download the form below.

Useful Links

Dementia UK Helpline – 0800 888 6678

Memory Navigation Service – 0300 111 9090

Tibbs Dementia Foundation – 01234 210993

Alzheimer’s Society – 0333 150 3456