Agenda item

In May 2017, following an extensive review, the Dementia Task Group review entitled  ‘How far Medway has gone in developing a Dementia Friendly Community?’ was agreed by Cabinet. As a cross cutting review, the report had previously been presented to the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to the Health and Wellbeing Board.

The recommendations made by the Task Group aimed to complement the wide variety of work already being undertaken by the Council and partners to implement the Council’s Dementia Strategy. The review had a particular focus on how Medway Council and its partners could lead by example to help make Medway a Dementia Friendly Community. This included services that the Council directly controls and those, which while not directly under the control of the Council, it could influence through partnership working.

This attached progress report (Appendix 1) summarises progress against each recommendation.

Discussion

The Programme Lead – Partnership Commissioning introduced the report. The Head of Performance and Intelligence was also in attendance to answer questions.

Good progress had been made on the implementation of the Task Group recommendations. These had included the Portfolio Holder for Adults’ Services being appointed as the Medway Dementia Ambassador. A series of  Dementia Friends awareness sessions had taken place for Members, officers and also externally e.g. in schools. Council employment policies would help support staff who were themselves diagnosed with dementia or who cared for someone with dementia. Work had been undertaken to raise awareness of the various services and support available for people with dementia. This had included an article in the ‘Medway Matters’ magazine last September.

The Task Group report had highlighted the need for post diagnostic support to be more accessible and for people to know where and when they could access support. There were now four dementia cafes in Medway. Drop-in clinics had been introduced to run alongside dementia cafes. These clinics provided easy access to a range of professionals for people with dementia and their carers.

 A second post diagnostic support group had been established at Elizabeth House in Rainham with Age UK and Admiral Nurses running a joint Carer Support Group at the local Age UK centre. Carers were able to attend a four week care support programme with the person they cared for being looked after at the same venue.

The proposed Rainham Test for change project had aimed to provide a dementia support worker in Rainham to work with GPs. As an alternative, support had been improved across Medway. The Council had worked with a range of other organisations to achieve this. Work had included developing Dementia Workers. These were existing employees of partner organisations who would take on an additional role, with the workers providing telephone support and home visits. A review of progress to date was currently being undertaken.

Medway CCG was working with partners to improve access to scans, facilitating quicker diagnosis and better post diagnostic support as well as better supporting people in hospital who had dementia.

Development plans such as the Strood Masterplan and the development of Extra Care Housing would consider people living with dementia. In relation to Extra Care Housing, this included colour schemes for way finding, use of textures as navigational aids and memory shelves.

The Task Group had highlighted a particular need to engage with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities that often had low levels of engagement with statutory services. The Programme Lead – Partnership Commissioning was due to accompany the Chairman of the Task Group to a meeting of the Medway Ethnic Minority Forum to highlight the dementia support available.

One Council service that supported people with Dementia was exempt borrower status for library users which would help to ensure that people with dementia were not fined for overdue books.

The Council was also encouraging local business and organisations to be dementia friendly. Letters had been sent to taxi firms to raise awareness of the need to be dementia friendly and to gauge interest in attendance at a Dementia Friends awareness session.

Council officers had considered how dementia related transport schemes operating in other parts of the country could be implemented in Medway. Local bus operator Arriva supported a dementia roadshow in October 2017. A roadshow bus had visited five accessible sites in Medway with attendees able to talk to a range of professionals. Arriva had also provided dementia awareness training to ten senior staff, who were then able to train bus drivers.

Kent Police were working via the Medway Community Safety Partnership to look at the use Dementia Safe Havens. A GP advice line had been established for GPs to seek advice when they were concerned about a patient with possible dementia symptoms.

It was noted that the Dementia Task Group update would also be presented to the RCE O&S meeting on 23 January 2018.

A Committee Member asked what progress was being made towards all Council staff attending a Dementia Friends awareness session. Officers advised that frontline staff were being prioritised. As of 31 October 2017, 27% of frontline staff in the RCE directorate had attended a session with this figure having increased by the year end. Attendance at a session was being included in personal development plans and it was planned that uptake amongst frontline staff would eventually be 100%.

A Member asked whether the plans to make the Council tax leaflet dementia friendly applied to this year’s leaflet and also when the dementia awareness raising letter had been sent to local taxi firms and what the response had been. It was confirmed that the changes to the Council Tax leaflet would be for the 2018/19 leaflet. This and other key information leaflets would be shared with the Medway Dementia Action Alliance for comment. Confirmation of when the taxi firm letter had been sent and the response would be provided following the Committee meeting.

It was requested that details of the Dementia Friends Awareness session being held at a forthcoming Rural Liaison Committee meeting be circulated to Councillors to give them an opportunity to attend. It was also asked how schools were made aware of the existence of Dementia Friends Awareness sessions. Officers agreed to provide details to the Committee following the meeting as well as information about what other dementia friendly swimming sessions were planned besides Hoo.

A Member felt that there was a need for respite provision to be developed for the carers of people living with dementia. It was also suggested that pop up sensory rooms could be developed for use at dementia cafes.

Officers advised that the Dementia Action Alliance was in touch with an expert who was delivering couples counselling. Dementia Support workers were able to visit carers in their home. An organisation, Dementia Adventure, provided activity days and holidays for people with dementia and their carers, which enabled carers to have a break while their loved ones were looked after. The pop up sensory room suggestion would be discussed with the Dementia Action Alliance. It was also suggested that some local schools and Council services may be able to assist with this.

Decision

The Committee noted the progress made against the Task Group recommendations and agreed that a further update should be reported to the Committee in August 2018.