Hospital dementia champions are ready to help and support

A network of dementia champions have been recruited to help patients throughout the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

They have all offered to be dementia champion links in their departments and the first 30 are about to undergo their training on January 23rd. The training is being provided by the Norfolk and Suffolk Dementia Alliance and specialist training will also be provided by the hospital’s dementia care coaches on understanding and meeting patients’ needs.

So far 70 champions have come forward from all over the hospital and include staff and volunteers.

All of them have jobs that mean they come into contact with patients. They will also be able to support patients with dementia and learn how to help patients with distressed behaviour as well as train their colleagues to become dementia friends.

The Dementia Friends initiative is supported by the Alzheimers Society who are hoping there will eventually be around a million dementia friends across the country.

The new champions will be able to promote good practice throughout their teams, share ideas and even make suggestions or add to the important ‘This Is Me’ booklets that help staff treat patients with dementia by building up a picture of their needs, interests, preferences, likes and dislikes.

Liz Yaxley, the dementia services manager, said of the new champions “It’s an exciting new initiative that will help spread good practice throughout the hospital. They will be a point of information and come up with ideas about the little things that make a difference in their work areas for patients.

It’s a person centred care initiative and means patients with dementia who come into hospital will know that we can focus on them and their carers needs.”

The NNUH dementia services will be taking part in the Dementia Friendly Day at the Kings Centre in Norwich on January 28th from 10 am to 5 pm. The aim is to provide a unique opportunity for people to get together and share information, advice and expertise in all matters relating to dementia.