NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group is working to improve dementia care in the county. Dementia is a complex illness and health and care support needs to be constantly improved to fulfil our vision.
Our vision
“Every person with dementia, their carers and families are supported to live well and as independently as possible, receive high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to end of life care. This applies to all care settings, whether home, hospital or care home.”
Our strategy
We are writing a dementia strategy, which sets out a common plan for improving dementia care and achieve our vision. It is based on the priorities in the NHS Long Term Plan and is being co-produced with local people and organisations.
There are seven themes:
- raising awareness, reducing risk
- improving diagnosis
- support after diagnosis
- supporting carers
- care at home
- care in hospital and care homes
- end of life care.
Involving the community
We have harnessed the support and insight of many people as we develop the strategy. Those living with dementia and their families/carers, clinicians and staff from all sorts of care settings, partners in local councils, hospitals, care homes, voluntary and community groups will help us write it.
We have already held workshops and set up several working groups to develop the projects, which will deliver the strategy and improve the care for everyone. These, together with our two co-production groups for people living with dementia and their families and carers, are regularly meeting to take this work forward.
Please click here to see a film of Keith Oliver, who is one of our dementia envoys. The film -Living well with a dementia diagnosis was shown at a workshop in August to help inform how the strategy is developed. These slides were also presented.
Next steps
The strategy will be finalised and go the Mental Health and Learning Disability and Autism Board shortly.
We will be sharing regular updates on our progress through all our communication channels to staff, stakeholders, and the wider public. To hear more, please register for our community bulletin or please email the Engagement team: kmccg.engage@nhs.net.