Who Are the Partners?

If you are one of the 1:3 families affected by dementia and want to learn how to provide the best care for a person living with the disease as well as finding the most appropriate support for you and your loved one, you are a partner in care.

Our aim is to encourage as many people as possible to become more aware of dementia and better able to support those who have been diagnosed with the disease and their carers.

In 2016 there were an estimated 139,798 people living on the Island.

The IW Clinical Commissioning Group estimate there will be 3,651 people living with dementia by 2024 whereas at present that number is well below 2000 ……. and we are already struggling.

The time has come to create an Island wide partnership that champions good care based on sound scientific understanding, proven techniques and a universal language.

Dementia awareness partners will be professional carers, people living at home with partners who have dementia, volunteers, interested members of the public in fact anybody with an interest in dementia.

Our aim is two-fold:

To provide people with the knowledge of how this disease progresses and to equip them with practical strategies that enable good, compassionate support at all stages;

To establish an Island wide benchmark of quality in dementia care that will enable Islanders to make informed choices when arranging the care of their loved ones. If a care home or a domiciliary care provider advertises “dementia specialism” we want to know: what is meant by that statement; that all staff have undergone appropriate training on a regular basis and that “person centred care” is, indeed, being practised. We aim to challenge misleading claims and encourage families to share news of good practice.

All successful participants of our training will have the option of wearing their Dementia Awareness Partnership badge as a mark of their achievement.

The days of one care fits all belongs to the past. The care profession is about to have a make-over. Dementia care is about to be community driven and part of a seamless pathway beginning with diagnosis.

In addition to the six-session training programme, there will be shorter introductory public sessions and age-appropriate talks for schools and colleges.

Details of these can be found on the calendar.

We live in a changing and challenging world and the Island is on the brink of a vigorous re-organisation of dementia care*. With your support we can join in this conversation. We can make our voice heard. We can help shape the future and make this an Island of excellence.

*Dementia and Older People’s Mental Heath

   Living Well Strategy 2018-2029

   Consultation Summary

Published August 2018 by:

IW Council – IW NHS Trust – IW Clinical Commissioning Group

For more information visit our events calendar to see how you can become a Dementia Awareness Partner.