The Trust provides dementia care in hospital and community settings.

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a collection of symptoms, associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities, caused by various diseases.

The most common types of dementia are: Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia and Frontotemperal Dementia.

Dementia care in community settings

Our community mental health teams for older people assess for dementia and provide support and treatment to individuals with a diagnosis of dementia.

We provide a range of services, including dementia supported living, memory service, dementia navigator and dementia occupational therapy. We also have a Dementia Home Support Team.

Find out more about our community mental health teams for older people.

Dementia care in hospital

The Trust has dementia companions who provide a complementary service that provides therapeutic engagement, distraction and meaningful activity to people living with a dementia in a hospital setting.

This role provides support for people living with a dementia and, delirium, confusion or cognitive impairment associated with a possible diagnosis of dementia.

We also provide hospital-based support through Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) technology. This equipment is for dementia companions and staff to use at ward level to engage with people living with dementia. It is a ‘computer on wheels’ system, with a detachable tablet which allows patients to use Apps, games and other leisure activities as part of their recovery.  The interactive touch screen systems allow individuals to enjoy relaxation music, watch archive news footage, view old photographs, to help spark memories and start conversations with their loved ones and carers.

Find out more from our video which explains the technology.

In addition, each inpatient ward in our acute and community hospitals has an ‘Enhanced Care Activity Folder’ which contains laminated images to support reminiscence activities, puzzles and colouring in and life story booklets to support therapeutic engagement and cognitive stimulating activities for our patients.

The aim of the activity trolley is to enhance staff, relative and patient engagement, providing meaningful activity with the overall aim of enhancing the quality of care and reducing the patient length of stay.