Agenda item

Purpose:

Monmouthshire was accredited as ‘working to become dementia friendly’ in June

2015. During 2017/18 considerable progress has been made to raise awareness of dementia and encourage organisations to adopt dementia friendly practices and support people living with dementia and their carers.

Key Issues:

Progress Update

1. Ensure the right local STRUCTURE is in place to maintain a sustainable dementia friendly community.

2. Identify leads - CHAMPIONS - to take responsibility for driving forward the work to support your community to become dementia friendly.

3. Have a plan to raise AWARENESS about dementia in key organisations and businesses within the community that support people with dementia to ensure a better understanding of dementia and an appreciation of the condition awareness across Monmouthshire.

4. Develop a STRONG VOICE for people with dementia living in your communities.

This will give your plan credibility and will make sure it focuses on areas people with dementia feel are most important

5. RAISE THE PROFILE of your work to increase reach and awareness to different groups in the community

6. Focus your plans on a number of key areas that have been identified locally

7. Have in place a plan or system to UPDATE THE PROGRESS of your community after six months and one year. To participate in the recognition process you will need to set out how you intend to report on progress towards becoming dementia friendly at the six-month stage and self-assess on an annual basis.

Member scrutiny:

The Select Committee welcomed Mr. P. Diamond, Dementia Lead for the Gwent transformation team who provided a progress report on the drive to ne a dementia friendly county. Following the presentation, Members asked questions:

·         A Member queried the table of training and noted that there had been a tail off in 2017 and asked if no further training is needed or if it was due to costs.  It was responded that training is provided as required and performance against targets has surpassed expectations.  Across Wales the target of 1m people becoming dementia friends has been achieved. 

·         A Member referred to a news report of a misdiagnosis of dementia that was instead a hearing problem. 

·         The work carried out in the community and schools out was praised by a Member.  It was questioned if refresher courses are provided and responded that the Welsh Government has launched a learning and development framework called Good Works which will be used in the region.  Dementia friends training is sometimes attended a second time.  A refresher session can be delivered to Members in future if required.

·         A Member was interested in partners and asked if the list could be expanded and suggested that supermarkets could be asked to encourage other shops to become dementia friendly.  It was responded that all supermarkets have agreed to become dementia friendly and there is a keenness to work with them.  There has also been significant demand from other organisations such as building societies.

·         Level of activity in the South Monmouthshire area was queried.  It was responded that a link with the Senior Citizens Group would be welcomed.  An exciting development in Chepstow is the proposal to accredit GP surgeries.