Agenda item

[Sue Eagle, Commissioning Officer, to present report]

David Watts, Director of Adult Services, introduced the report. The panel were advised that in response to a request for further information Susan Eagle,

Commissioning Officer had been invited to attend to give a more detailed information about progress of work being done to identify and support people with a diagnosis of dementia. The Commissioning Officer introduced Tom Denham, Head of Provider Services, to the panel.

The Commissioning Officer advised that there are number of known types of dementia which can affect a person’s behaviour very differently. The Commissioning Officer explained the challenges to detecting early signs of the condition and the range of support available. The Commissioning Officer briefed the panel on the headline data and the estimates of the numbers of people affected was expected to increase by over 50 percent by 2035.  At present 3000 people in Wolverhampton are affected by dementia.

Wolverhampton is performing well against national and local comparators.

The Commissioning Officer gave details of the work done by members of Wolverhampton Dementia Action Alliance and the development of the strategy. The examples ranged from Wolverhampton Grand Theatre holding a dementia friendly café which has been very people with a 100 people attending, Radio WM doing live broadcast to promote awareness, West Park provide dementia café events which have been very popular and there is a waiting list of people wanting to get involved. The Commissioning Officer commented on the intergenerational work done with schools to engage local children in raising awareness of the illness and improve understanding.

A promotional video of the work done by Wolverhampton Dementia Action Alliance was shown to the panel.

The strategy is underpinned by the JSNA which can provide a wealth of data and support the multi-agency approach that has been updated.  The work has good representation from members of the third sector and there are plans to look at risk factors of developing dementia and include them in future health checks. The Commissioning Officer commented on the work done to support black and minority groups and gave examples of the challenges in responding the needs of this group, with a focus on making small changes that can help improve the quality of care given.

The Commissioning Officer commented on the main challenges to moving the strategy forward, such as people living longer with more complex health issues and working with partners to get the right services. The situation is complicated by the different eligibility rules and situations where the person affected lacks capacity to make informed decisions about their care arrangements.

Tom Denham, Head of Provider Services, advised the panel that Blakenhall Day Services supports about 35 people with a diagnosis of dementia. Carers are supported by Blakenhall in that they experience a period of respite while the person they care for attends the service.

The Head of Provider Services added that fortnightly meetings are held with colleagues in partner organisations to look at services offered to people with a dementia diagnosis and their families. The current public consultation on the all age transport policy includes consultation with Blakenhall service users in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society.

The panel queried which aspects of the service is failing people with dementia. The Director of Adult Services commented on the range of challenges to responding to meet the needs of people with dementia and their families, for example, supporting people with pre-existing medical condition or dealing with a situation where the condition has progressed rapidly and providing the appropriate level of care. There is a recognition that some people have difficulties when adjusting to moving from home to residential care. There is evidence that people will experience a deterioration in the health following the move. There is ongoing work with CCG to support staff in residential care homes.

A further challenge to the service is maintaining the quality of care provided in residential homes where people with dementia are assessed as being medically fit, but the care home need extra staff to provide the care needed and in some situations this will require upskilling staff. The issue of promoting people to remain independent where this is possible and providing the right care to a person with a terminal diagnosis are two further challenges that the service is trying to meet. The Council is developing options for providing 600 extra care sheltered units by the target date of 2030 with the aim of reducing reliance on residential care provision.  The Head of Provider Services commented that the Council want to make improvements to Blakenhall Day Centre, which was built in 1940s.

The panel praised the important work of Dementia Champions and supported the initiative.

The panel queried the number of schools that have engaged with efforts to raise awareness about the issue of dementia. The panel were advised that the response from schools has been very positive and suggested that the local 'Police and Communities Together' (PACT) meetings could also be a good location to promote awareness about the issue of dementia.

The panel queried the support available to council employees who are carers of people with dementia.  The Director of Adult Services commented that the Council has a good employee support offer. The programme is led by John Denley which is aimed at raising awareness of the issue employee welfare. The Council also monitors the reasons for employee absence where mental health issues or stress related absences have been recorded. In addition, the Council also offers a health check to help employees and this is supported by mental health first aiders who have been offered dementia training. The panel queried whether the support is also available to Councillors. The Director of Adult Services responded that his understanding was that the employee assistance service such as bereavement counselling was available to Councillors but would make enquiries to confirm before replying.

Resolved:

The panel agreed to note the report and praised the work done to support people with dementia.