Clear information is made available to people with dementia, carers, and healthcare practitioners about the Memory Assessment Service.
Clear information should be available to people with dementia. This recommendation involves making you aware of what to expect during your visit to the Memory Assessment Service. When you receive a letter inviting you for an appointment with the Memory Assessment Service you should also receive clear information about what to expect at the appointment and what the service does. You may want to make contact and provide some information at this stage, which would help the Memory Assessment Service plan for your attending the appointment, for example, are you attending the appointment with a family member or not? Would either of you welcome talking to somebody in private?
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Regional offerings
DEMENTIA AWARENESS IN SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITIES
INCREASING AWARENESS OF DEMENTIA IN SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITIES
What we did
- Created a toolkit to support mosques and temples to become dementia friendly
- Co-produced awareness resources
- Delivered training sessions for South Asian communities to understand the signs and symptoms of dementia.
We worked with the Alzheimer’s Society to deliver some dementia awareness sessions to local groups who support people from South Asian communities.
We developed a set of ‘Through the eyes of dementia’ videos:
- A short video for mosques, temples, GP practices and on social media to help people understand some of the signs and symptoms of dementia
- A longer video for people who’ve been diagnosed with dementia. This video shows real life stories and explains the value of obtaining support from GPs, the Alzheimer’s Society, dementia nurses, social services, mental health trusts and voluntary and community sector organisations
For this purpose, we developed leaflets and posters:
- Provide information about the signs and symptoms of dementia, other causes of memory loss. Specifically, we offer information about the importance of living a healthy life and managing diabetes and other long term illnesses.
- Promote awareness of support services available in Manchester and tips for carers.
- Support places of worships to become dementia friendly.
- Raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of dementia.
It’s evident that there’s a need to continue engaging with these communities to provide dementia awareness. Additionally, we need to promote the materials created to address and reduce the stigma of dementia in South Asian communities. During the dementia awareness sessions a number of people from the South Asian communities expressed an interest in becoming a dementia champion.
Recommendations
- Follow up on the interest expressed in becoming a dementia champion with online training sessions being offered in partnership with South Asian voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.
- Link in to existing South Asian communications channels (Asian Sound radio, local TV channels and mosques and temples) to promote awareness of symptoms of dementia and cultural support available.
- Continue to engage with South Asian communities to provide dementia awareness sessions, question and answer sessions and to promote the materials created
- Consider how culturally appropriate commissioned dementia services are and how they both understand concerns from the BAME community and respond to their needs
- Develop a communications plan to support the team to continue to share the resources.
Making-your-place-of-worship-Dementia-Friendly-temple
MHCC-Dementia-Posters-bengali
MHCC-Dementia-Posters-English
MHCC-Dementia-Posters-gujarati
MHCC-Dementia-Posters-hindi
MHCC-Dementia-Posters-urdu
National offerings
MSNAP Memory Assessment Service Standards
The Royal College of Psychiatrists have a national accreditation programme for Memory Services against key standards. The website outlines the standards and the process.
Weblink: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/ccqi/quality-networks-accreditation/memory-services-national-accreditation-programme-msnap/msnap-standards
Weblink: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/ccqi/quality-networks-accreditation/memory-services-national-accreditation-programme-msnap/msnap-standards
Healthwatch
Healthwatch is your health and social care champion. If you use GPs and hospitals, dentists, pharmacies, care homes or other support services, we want to hear about your experiences. As an independent statutory body, we have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to your feedback and improve standards of care. Last year we helped nearly a million people like you to have your say and get the information and advice you need.
Telephone: Call: 03000 683 000 between the hours of 08:30 – 17:30 Monday to Friday
Email: enquiries@healthwatch.co.uk
Weblink: https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/your-local-healthwatch/list
Telephone: Call: 03000 683 000 between the hours of 08:30 – 17:30 Monday to Friday
Email: enquiries@healthwatch.co.uk
Weblink: https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/your-local-healthwatch/list
ADAPT South Asian Dementia Pathway
ADAPT South Asian Dementia Pathway sets out to create an online toolkit of culturally appropriate assessments and interventions. The toolkit supports people from South Asian communities across the dementia care pathway. Starting in January 2021, the aim of the study is to identify elements of the toolkit that can be drawn upon by commissioners, clinicians and care teams to meet the needs of people from South Asian communities who are living with dementia.
ADAPT South Asian Dementia Pathway toolkit consists of two sections.
This section deals with three stages of the dementia care pathway: dementia awareness; dementia diagnosis and assessment; and interventions for people living with dementia and their families.
Roughly 25,000 people from ethnic minority communities live with dementia in the UK. The largest single grouping are people whose origins are from South Asian countries. People from South Asian communities are at greater risk of developing dementia. However, they are less likely to access all points of the dementia care pathway. They are more likely to present in crisis and/or at a later stage in this community.
There are also differences in how people from south Asian communities use dementia services. People from south Asian communities are more likely to miss or misinterpret their Dementia symptoms . Moreover, they often have less access to NICE recommended treatments including medication. They are more likely to rely on local, ethnic group-led community organisations for support. All of these differences mean that south Asians with dementia are often disadvantaged compared to their white counterparts.
ADAPT South Asian Dementia Pathway toolkit consists of two sections.
1. The dementia care pathway
This section deals with three stages of the dementia care pathway: dementia awareness; dementia diagnosis and assessment; and interventions for people living with dementia and their families.
2. Working better together
Good dementia care often involves large organisations like the NHS and smaller voluntary or community-based organisations working together. Where these collaborations work well, they enable the resources of health and social care professionals to be used effectively by taking into account the language, spiritual, and cultural needs of different communities. However, we know that it is not always easy for organisations to work together. Formal and voluntary organisations can have very different approaches and priorities, and this can create difficulties and tensions. One aim of our study was to identify what these tensions were, and to find ways of overcoming these.
There are also differences in how people from south Asian communities use dementia services. People from south Asian communities are more likely to miss or misinterpret their Dementia symptoms . Moreover, they often have less access to NICE recommended treatments including medication. They are more likely to rely on local, ethnic group-led community organisations for support. All of these differences mean that south Asians with dementia are often disadvantaged compared to their white counterparts.
The UK network of dementia voices - DEEP:
The UK network of dementia voices brings together resources we have produced with DEEP groups, as well as resources they have produced independently.
It also includes resources we have produced for DEEP groups, to help them run more smoothly and more effectively.
Understanding dementia
Understanding dementia Leaflet is also available in alternative formats and additional languages.
Please email: communicationsmanchester@nhs.net or call 0161 213 1750 for more information.
What is dementia? In South Asian communities there is not a single word that describes dementia. Dementia is a set of symptoms that may include problems remembering, speaking and understanding. Dementia is a medical condition and not a natural part of ageing.
There is often a misunderstanding that dementia is a punishment for something that has happened in a past life or as a result of black magic. These beliefs often mean a delay in diagnosis but it is really important to get an early diagnosis so you and help with managing this condition.
Can we prevent dementia? We don’t yet understand dementia well enough to know if it can be prevented and researchers are still investigating how the disease develops. However, there’s good evidence that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk.
Memory assessment If a GP is concerned about the possibility of dementia they may recommend a memory test. If needed they may make a referral to the memory assessment service. Interpreters can be requested for any GP or hospital appointment.
This leaflet is also available in alternative formats and additional languages. Please email: communicationsmanchester@nhs.net or call 0161 213 1750 for more information.
What is dementia? In South Asian communities there is not a single word that describes dementia. Dementia is a set of symptoms that may include problems remembering, speaking and understanding. Dementia is a medical condition and not a natural part of ageing.
There is often a misunderstanding that dementia is a punishment for something that has happened in a past life or as a result of black magic. These beliefs often mean a delay in diagnosis but it is really important to get an early diagnosis so you and help with managing this condition.
Can we prevent dementia? We don’t yet understand dementia well enough to know if it can be prevented and researchers are still investigating how the disease develops. However, there’s good evidence that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk.
Memory assessment If a GP is concerned about the possibility of dementia they may recommend a memory test. If needed they may make a referral to the memory assessment service. Interpreters can be requested for any GP or hospital appointment.
This leaflet is also available in alternative formats and additional languages. Please email: communicationsmanchester@nhs.net or call 0161 213 1750 for more information.
Dementia risk factors and prevention
Some things can increase your risk of getting dementia, including your age, genes and lifestyle. There are also ways you can reduce your risk.
There are also ways you can reduce your risk.
What to expect from health and care services
A guide to the support people should get from local services in England if they or someone they know have been diagnosed with dementia.
It includes information about:
Guidance : After diagnosis of dementia: what to expect from health and care services
Details
This document is for anyone diagnosed with dementia and the people who care for them. It has details about what support they should get.It includes information about:
- what is in a care plan
- how health care and social care services can help
- support available to family and friends who are carers
- how to take part in research
Published 17 May 2018
Evidence
Royal College of Psychiatrists (2020) MSNAP Standards for Memory Services: For planned assessments the team sends letters in advance to patients that include:
- The name and designation of the professional that they will see;
- An explanation of the assessment process;
- Information on who can accompany them;
- How to contact the team if they have any queries, require support (e.g. an interpreter), need to change the appointment or have difficulty in getting there.
Research Paper, Disclosing a dementia diagnosis: what do patients and family consider important?: "Recall of information from the feedback session was variable. Most respondents (76% of patients; 66% of carers) thought that a direct approach was best when informing the patient of a dementia diagnosis, and that both written information and compassion demonstrated by the doctor were helpful. Opinions on whether all the information should be given at once or in stages were divided."
Best Practice Resources
Alzheimer's Society, Tips for dementia friendly documents:- https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/dementia-professionals/dementia-experience-toolkit/real-life-examples/tips-dementia-friendly-documents
Dementia engagement and empowerment project (DEEP), Writing dementia-friendly information: - http://dementiavoices.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/DEEP-Guide-Writing-dementia-friendly-information.pdf
Commissioned by NHS England, Leeds Beckett University worked in partnership with a wide range of partners (including contributions from Greater Manchester and Dementia United) to produce a guide to supporting continued development, improvement and innovation in Memory Assessment Services, which is available by clicking here The reference for this is Surr et al 2021 'Taking Memory Assessment Services into the future: A guide to supporting continuous development, improvement and innovation in memory assessment services. Leeds Beckett University.