Let's Talk...Dementia Awareness event

Thank you to everyone who attended our latest ‘Let’s Talk’ event, this time on Dementia Awareness.

The session was hosted by Sonia, with an impressive turnout of 38 people.

The event started off by people introducing themselves and where they were from. The majority of the audience were professionals from a wide range of services including Rotherham Hospital, Crossroads Care, Adult Social Care, Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society, to name a few.

Sonia then explained what dementia is, and the different types of dementia that exist. These include Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia and Frontotemporal Dementia. A video was also played that explained the different types of dementia and how they affect the person. The Powerpoint slides will be attached below and all information including the videos will be available to access.

Martin Cooper:

We were then joined by our special guest, Martin Cooper. 

In 2005, Martin retired from work with subjective cognitive impairment, hoping the reduced stress would resolve this problem. In 2009, he was diagnosed with a weak executive function, dyslexia and dyspraxia, which then led to a diagnosis of early stage frontotemporal dementia. Both Martin’s father and cousin had also suffered from Alzheimer’s. 

An early diagnosis allowed Martin to get his affairs in order and prioritise a healthy lifestyle, with help from the Alzheimer’s Association. 

By 2013, Martin was no longer considered as having early onset dementia so was signed off by the Neurology Department, with the understanding he would be referred to the memory clinic when necessary. 12 years after his first diagnosis, this day still has not come. 

Martin puts his success down to his healthy lifestyle, losing weight and improving his nutrition. He subscribed to a charity called ‘Food for the Brain’ in 2019, which promotes a healthy lifestyle to prevent/reduce cognitive decline in people aged 50-70. 

His energy levels and attention span have improved as well as his cognition scores as each year passes. 

The NHS now attributes 30% of dementia risk to lifestyle, highlighting the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, particularly as you get older. Martin now feels he has hope for the future. 

We thank Martin for sharing his story.

Myths/Facts:

The audience were then asked a series of myths and facts around dementia. They were able to answer these interactively using the ‘poll’ feature on Zoom. This allowed us to see if there were any common misconceptions surrounding Dementia, and how much people knew on the subject already.

Alzheimer’s Society:

We were then joined by Georgia Lauder from the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Georgia discussed the training that is available specifically for GP practices on dementia, which is aligned with the NHS framework. The training is delivered by expert trainers and developed by an internal training team.

If you are interested in learning more about the training available, please contact:

dementiatraining@alzheimers.org.uk

Singing for the Brain:

Singing for the Brain was developed in the early 2000’s and uses singing to bring people with dementia and their carers together in a stimulating, fun and safe environment.

More information on this project can be found by contacting:

Partnerships.operations@alzheimers.org.uk

Contact:

donacaster@alzheimers.org.uk 

01709 580543 

Dementia UK:

We were then joined by Beth Goss from Dementia UK. Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. This is a national charity but you are able to get local support from Admiral Nurses.

https://www.dementiauk.org/ - Main website 

https://www.dementiauk.org/get-support/closer-to-home/ - Support closer to home

Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline:

0800 888 6678

https://www.dementiauk.org/get-support/dementia-helpline-alzheimers-helpline/ 

RDASH Memory Clinic:

We were joined by Liz Copley, a Consultant Occupational Therapist who discussed the Memory Service and an update on their services. Rotherham Memory Service provides multi-disciplinary assessment for the diagnosis of dementia and delivers post diagnostic counselling, advice and treatment along with nurse prescribing services for patients over the age of 65 and their carers. 

To make a referral to the service please contact the Rotherham Care Coordination Centre on:  01709 426600.

Q&A: ‘How has Covid-19 affected dementia services?’

Liz Copley:

Rotherham memory services have remained open throughout the pandemic although we have had to change/adapt some of our group and face to face work to manage some of the risks. I am not sure how Covid has impacted on the incidence of dementia itself but we have certainly seen increased need and difficulties for people with dementia and their families due to the lockdowns and social isolation and it has been harder to organise support/services at times. 

Carers Resilience Service – Crossroads Care Rotherham:

We were then joined by Rebecca Bhool from Crossroads Care. Currently, in Rotherham there are 1,688 people on the GP Dementia register. It is estimated that by 2025 the number of people in Rotherham with Dementia will have risen to 4,397. 

The Carers Resilience Service offers a number of resources to those who are looking after someone affected by memory problems and/or dementia. 

• One-to-one support around caring for your loved one

• Information, guidance and resources

• Education around living well with Dementia

• Access to groups and carer befriending services

• Benefits checks

• Referrals to other services if needed

• Liaison with statutory services on your behalf

• Complementary therapies

• Guidance on keeping safe at home

• Access to respite if appropriate

Contact:

Telephone: 01709 464574

E-mail: carers.resilience@nhs.net 

Making Space – Rotherham Carer Support Service:

Finally, we were joined by Charlotte Byers, a dementia advisor. Making Space is a national charity that provides health and social care services for adults with dementia, learning disabilities and mental health issues. Charlotte explained that in Rotherham, there is a Rotherham Dementia Carer Support service available to help those caring for someone with dementia/memory loss. 

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rotherhamcarers 

E-mail: RotherhamCarers@makingspace.co.uk

Telephone: 01709 910889 

Website: https://makingspace.co.uk/rotherham-dementia-carer - you can also find the Carer Support Newsletter and more about the service here 

DISC (Dementia Information and Support for Carers)

DISC is for carers and family members of people living with dementia. It is an 8 week programme of weekly sessions. More details can be found on the images below. Please contact Rotherham Dementia Support Service on 01709 910889 to book a place. 

Dementia Cafes:

These cafes offer the carer and the person they care for the chance to meet others in a similar situation in a positive and relaxing atmosphere. Please see the PDF below for a full list of dates.

Please contact RotherhamCarers@makingspace.co.uk for more information/any questions 

Once again, thank you to all services that attended and shared their knowledge and support available to Rotherham residents. Thank you to Martin for sharing his own story, and to all those attendees. We hope you found it informative and interesting.

We look forward to seeing you at our next event on COPD, TB and other lung conditions.

Wednesday 24th November 11am-12 noon.