Agenda item

9.1

The Committee received a report upon Transforming Support for People with Dementia who live at Home, and in attendance for this item was Julia Thompson, Strategic Commissioning Manager, Sheffield City Council. It was noted that Howard Waddicor, Commissioning Officer, sent his apologies. 

9.2

It was noted that Sheffield had a solid history in partnership working in the area of dementia, with a long established, multi-agency Dementia Programme Board chaired by Richard Webb, Executive Director (Communities) with representation from Sheffield City Council, NHS Sheffield, Sheffield Health and Social Care Foundation Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, and the Sheffield Alzheimer’s Society. The function of this Board was to deliver on the National Dementia Strategy (2009) built on by the Prime Minister’s Challenge launched in March 2012.

9.3

It was further noted that, in order to inform some of the changes needed to modernise the support for people with dementia who lived at home, a report had been submitted to the Sheffield City Council Cabinet on 26^th May 2012 seeking approval to engage in a three month involvement exercise.

9.4

The purpose of the report now submitted was to understand the key issues for people affected by dementia, in order to plan support for the future, as the growing number of people with dementia represented a significant issue for the City. It was confirmed that the existing support arrangements in the City would not meet the increase in demand or the changing expectations of people with dementia.

9.5

Members were keen that sufficient support and training was provided to carers, so that the health of carers did not suffer as well. It was recognised that early diagnosis of dementia was also essential. This could be achieved through an effective training progamme, and competent management to ensure that a consistent level of support for people with dementia and their carers was being offered across the City. It was noted that all staff at Northern General Hospital were now trained upon looking for the early signs of dementia.

9.6

Members were also keen that work was done with the patients at an early stage of dementia to discuss options for care at more advanced stages of the illness. An integrated response to early intervention was strongly supported, and Members wished to see an emphasis on the wider determinants of wellbeing being considered in the way that services were improved.

9.7

Members wished to have more information provided to them upon the work of the ‘Memory Clinic’ in Sheffield, including its location, opening hours, role, funding arrangements, patient flow, waiting times and staffing structure.

9.8

A request was also made for further information to be provided about how the needs of people from BME communities were being responded to.

9.9

Members emphasised the importance of creating a dementia-friendly City, with particular importance placed around managing the early stages of the illness when people still wanted to do the things that they had always done.

9.10

Members highlighted the self-directed support assessment process as being too bureaucratic for people with dementia. They asked whether this could this be simplified and whether there was the potential to introduce an advanced decision making approach.  

9.11

The number of people in care homes without a formal diagnosis was seen as being inappropriate. An update upon the dementia care homes at Birch Avenue and Woodland View was also requested.

9.12

RESOLVED: That the Committee;

(a) notes the contents of the report now submitted;

(b) recognises the importance of training and skills development across the statutory and independent sector and requests that this be considered in the final action plan;

(c) requested further information upon the work of the ‘Memory Clinic’ in Sheffield, including its location, opening hours, role, funding arrangements, patient flow, waiting times and staffing structure;

(d) requests further information about how the needs of people suffering from dementia from BME communities are being responded to, and

(e) requests an update upon the dementia care homes at Birch Avenue and Woodland View.