Understanding the needs of people with dementia and family carers
Intended for healthcare professionals
Art & Science Previous     Next

Understanding the needs of people with dementia and family carers

Jennifer Bray Research assistant, University of Worcester
Simon Evans Principal research fellow and head of research, University of Worcester
Rachel Thompson Professional and practice development lead for Admiral Nursing, Dementia UK and member of the Nursing Older People editorial advisory board, University of Worcester
Mary Bruce Senior lecturer, University of Worcester
Christine Carter Senior lecturer, University of Worcester
Dawn Brooker Director of the Association for Dementia Studies, University of Worcester
Sarah Milosevic Former research assistant, University of Worcester
Helen Coleman Dementia project lead nurse, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Wilf McSherry Professor in dignity of care for older people, Staffordshire University and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

In the first article of this series, Jennifer Bray and colleagues present three case studies that show what adjustments trusts are making to improve the hospital experience for patients, relatives and staff

This is the first in a short series that presents case study examples of the positive work achieved by trusts who participated in the Royal College of Nursing’s development programme to improve dementia care in acute hospitals.

When a person with dementia is in hospital, poor understanding of individual needs and preferences can contribute to a lack of person-centred care. Similarly, the needs of family carers can often be overlooked and staff do not always appreciate these needs at such a stressful time. This article illustrates how three NHS trusts have addressed these issues. To help staff get to know patients with dementia, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust has implemented a patient passport. Similarly, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has implemented a carer passport that overcomes the restrictions imposed by hospital visiting hours. Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust also focused on carers, holding a workshop to elicit feedback on what was important to them. This was a useful means of engaging with carers and helped staff to realise that even simple changes can have a significant effect.

Nursing Older People. 27, 7, 18-23. doi: 10.7748/nop.27.7.18.e699

Correspondence

j.bray@worc.ac.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to double-blind review and has been checked using antiplagiarism software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 09 March 2015

Accepted: 13 May 2015

Your organisation does not have access to this article
Recommend to your librarian
RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

OR

3-month trial offer for �5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more