A new digital dementia care and support planning toolkit aims to make dementia review consultations more meaningful to patients, their carers, and clinicians alike.

“The dementia annual review is an opportunity to focus on the main concerns and priorities of a patient and/or carer, and to ensure that the right post-diagnostic support is in place to meet their needs,” says Sian Roberts, Clinical Lead for Dementia at Hampshire Thames Valley Clinical Delivery and Networks (HTV). “By following this toolkit and utilising a personalised care and support planning approach, it is easier to identify the right care and support for that patient and/or carer, and this can significantly improve the overall experience of their care.”

All documents and leaflets are within a single PDF toolkit resource that can be readily downloaded to any desktop or clinical intranet, and can support any practitioner, for example a GP, practice nurse or dementia advisor.

Early tests of the toolkit have drawn the following comment from this carer:

“Thank you for taking the time with my mother last week at her annual review. She was very anxious about coming to see the Doctor, but you put her at ease and made her the centre of attention. She even said she enjoyed it!”

And from this practice nurse:

“I used to dread doing dementia reviews; I was really under confident, as I wasn’t sure what I could do to help patients or their carers. Using the care and support approach has changed all this, the toolkit is easy to use, and patients choose what they want to discuss. It’s now one of the most satisfying reviews that I do!”

Personalised dementia reviews using a care and support planning approach can empower and support people to live well with dementia. This toolkit supports practitioners to adopt this approach and is the result of extensive discussions with practitioners, carers and people with dementia.

There are three versions of toolkits that you can download now:

• the generic version, available here.
• a version for practitioners and patients and/or carers tailored for Buckinghamshire, available here.
• a version for practitioners and patients and/or carers tailored for East Berkshire, available here.

For more information  please contact Sian Roberts, Clinical Lead for Dementia via email: sian.roberts2@nhs.net