Venue: Training Room, Guild Care, Methold House, Worthing

Minutes – 9 January 2018

Venue: Training Room, Guild Care, Methold House, Worthing.

Welcome and apologies

Bob Smytherman took the chair in the absence of Tom Wye and welcomed everyone.

Apologies from: Major Tom Wye, Jacqui Swindells Abbeyfield Ferring, Wraysbury House, Chris Moon-Willems – Relative Matters, Lynda Basford, Bill Demel Guild Care, Allie Beddard and Rob Vince of Stagecoach.

The minutes of October meeting were agreed with a few changes suggested by the speaker from that meeting, Ian Macara of Bennett Griffin.

Introduction

As not everyone knew each other, we went around the room with swift introductions.

Newcomers included Father Patrick representing St Mary’s Parish and Cllr Hazel Thorpe representing Maybridge Keystone Centre and the Lions who were both expressing an interest in becoming members of the Alliance.

News from member organisations

Guild Care: Haviland House

Chris Walton-Turner, Manager of Haviland House, spoke about the home’s changes over the past year.

Guild Care’s Haviland House celebrated its 3rd birthday in January 2018 and, as is inevitable with new services, it has experienced numerous challenges including that of delivering a promise to deliver different dementia care. For 12 months the home has been working with Dementia Care Matters (DCM), who has transformed the environment and looked at the model of service.

Residents with dementia had found themselves in a beautiful building but one which was very large and found the space overwhelming. The challenge had been to recreate the environment and to make it work for the residents. Some had moved as they couldn’t settle. Chris explained how difficult the past 12 months had been looking at the home through the eyes of the residents. DCM had helped them with the challenge of making the home a place where they felt at home and this had been a difficult process, particularly for many staff.

He explained how recruitment of the right people is difficult and that turnover has been 65%.When challenged by relatives, he had explained that they we knew it would happen and admitted that they had lost some very good carers particularly those who found it difficult to engage with people emotionally. People underestimate the psychological challenge day in day out. It’s very hard for staff.

Their recruitment process is by group interviews, where they ask potential candidates to bring along an object which means something to them. These interviews are often really emotional and involve family stories which are very poignant. If a candidate can connect, it is a good sign and usually means the right kind of person is recruited to the role even without any care experience. We look for people with life experience who can engage on different levels; people who are not afraid to be emotional. Choosing people with these skills means we retain staff longer and skill them up.

Residents needs are considered in terms of their physical health and a behavioural programme. Looking at where people are in their journey, we group them according to their functional needs.

We now call the suites ‘households’. There are two households in the early stages, one with different reality, one repetitive and one for late stage dementia.

Chris explained that they were beginning to see the results of the changes. A gentleman who had been in a wheelchair for 12 months – got up and walked. May have been trying to turn off the Xmas music but if that is the result, even momentary, we use that as a sign, provide a stand aid and support him further raising his independence and dignity. One resident has started knitting again – she is back engaged. Others aregaining weight and the results are beginning to show. People are feeling safer in smaller environments and less isolated. Benefits include people who are sleeping better, coming out of their rooms and mixing more.When everyone has gone to bed at Haviland,it becomes easier for night staff.

Some staff are better at the later stages and have the ability to step into their world. Residents thrive on that. Somestaff can do the personal care whilst others are good at encouraging people to eat. Our staff are passionate and can make this work. Some staff work well within the different reality world.

The repetitive stage,however,is a real challenge for the staff.

Bikram, Dementia Lead for the CCG, said that some behavioural issues are because of personal care and the difficulty of dentures.

The Chair suggested that if anyone hadn’t seen Haviland House – to make an appointment and visit.

Dementia Care Matters had advised Haviland to concentrate on the middle floor rather than do the whole home at once. Relatives had found it difficult to accept that their loved-ones might have to change rooms during their residency dependent upon their needs but as people’s journeys changed it was more important to be with staff and others who were experienced at that level.

Bikram mentioned that in Japan, it was easier for people to slip into a care home that they had previously been involved with and people should be encouraged to do this to make it an easier transition.

Haviland first CQC inspection had required improvements across the board and, since it’s re-inspection in September, the home achieved a ‘Good’ rating, and the culture change had been acknowledged by staff and relatives to have been very positive.

Tim Wilkins, Alzheimer’s asked about supporting families and Chris explained it was certainly an education of families. The staff wore no uniforms, nor name badges.Relatives and those interested can spend time at the home which is predominantly self-funded. For each household of 12, there is a team leader and 3 carers on 24 hours a day plus a management structure and a wellbeing co-ordinator.

A recent sensory ‘Gardening Project’ which took residents through the four seasons with light, sound, acting and mind plus the inclusion of projectors saw residents holding birds in their hands with tears of joy. Great lessons to be learned and, not just in dementia care…. Person-centred care and support all round.

The Chair said how privileged we were to hear about the journey the home and its residents had taken.

Under the DCM approach,the home is under observational audit with David Sheard. Out of 10 achievement levels the home was near the bottom at the start. Chris said it was a testament to the team and especially the carers that they are now at level 2 and delivering the care they thought they would be delivering in the first place. He explained that the process is brutal and that the leadership had been a struggle to change but that they were ultimately set on getting it right now and extending that out into the community if possible.

Ian Blackwood thanked Chris for hosting the West Sussex Carers Support meetings as they had been a very good support group. He also thanked Guild Care for the respite care they had provided for his wife throughout her journey.

Bikram asked if anyone knew if there were plans to extend this model,which is potentially delivering, further in the community through West Sussex Partners in Care for example. Haviland House was working on getting official recognition, which they may achieve in April/May 2018, but until then, they can’t do too much.

Dementia Care Matters is an organisation also going through a few changes. It has been taken over by the Australian arm of the Salvation Army. David Sheard will still be very much involved but was keen for the international reach for the organisation.

Chris to approach David Sheard or Peter to ask them if they would speak at a specially organised event for the Worthing Dementia Action Alliance.

Look also at Helen Sanderson Associates who are big in at person-centred approaches and works with DCM. The DCM butterfly community hub brings these two approaches together.

Social prescribing project

Bikram gave an overview of the funding bid, to the Health & Wellbeing Fund, for a large social prescribing project.

He explained about the LCNs, how the 50 GP surgeries in West Sussex consist of 8 working groups and that these were hubs for local deliver.

Each area has ‘frailty’ down as a topic and dementia is being addressed under that topic.

An application has been put in to the Health and Wellbeing fund, with the lead organisations Guild Care and support from Age UK and the CCG for a social prescribing project. In terms of dementia, loneliness and isolation the project will give the person and their carers access to services of their choosing dependent upon their needs and interests. People and their carers will be considered within each LCN through their GP and given local community support. More should be known in January, but there is a lot of local support and GP support. It will involve the community and the bid will support care in the community.

Tim Wilkins mentioned a similar small pilot project in Crawley where a worker is responsible for the prescription however, they have found the largest drawback to be the GPs.

Bikram said how he hoped that it would be based on need as there are a lot of people requiring help which have not had a diagnosis and are not keen to be diagnosed.

Worthing Library dementia friendly screening

Jane Blackwell offered the lecture theatre in the library for future meetings (car park free after 4pm) and said they were planning a dementia friendly film screening hopefully in March which is the Health and Wellbeing month.They were keen for feedback particularly what day of the week, time or a weekend?

Tim Wilkins said he would forward notes and help with choosing the right film.

Suggestions included older classical musicals and enjoyable movies such as Mama Mia. Cinema in Redhill and Brighton do a monthly screening. Evidence incorporated into a full programme – library to work with the Alzheimer’s Society to gain the feedback.

Request for access to community minibuses? Matinees and evening performance. Probably charge about £2 a ticket. They have funding but not allowed to make a profit. They have to pay for a public license and refreshments.

Kelly Compton explained that evening events in the winter are not popular with Guild Care users as when it’s dark people are not keen to venture out.

Kelly also mentioned her contact with Michael Ryan, CEO for the Russell Martin Foundation, who had asked her to explore the need for football groups for people with dementia.

The Foundation currently supports children with learning disabilities and through his work with the Amex and the FA he wondered if there was an interest in fundinga local football dementia group in Worthing. Tim said he had emailed his thoughts to Kelly about having tried walking football with or without dementia. It’s not straightforward. Tim explained that they had found walking football is great but that netball is better as men and women could both play and that catching a ball was easier than kicking it. Kelly requires further feedback and asked for people to get in touch. There is some funding available and it could include transport. There is no problem with equipment.

Tim askedif would be better not be just focused on dementia? Open to everyone. Those without others could support those with dementia. Kelly needs as much feedback as possible. Can we reach into care-homes for this? Where would they host it? Suggesting Southdown Leisure – indoor or outdoor. Kelly needs to evaluate a need for this service at first.

Bob said the Woodside road is a great facility and that George Dowell is keen to reach out into the community.

Kelly spoke about current availability within their day services in Worthing particularly the paid service Dementia Daybreaks. Two-course lunch. Julia requested posters and info for website and Facebook.

Thanks were expressed for Mark and Debbie Scott, in Windmere Crescent, who had raised an amazing £1.7K for dementia services in GC with their Christmas light display.

Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust

SPFT is going to review their memory assessment services to help streamline them.

Sunny Worthing Awards

Please vote for the Worthing Mental Health week which has been nominated.

Bennett Griffin Dementia Friends created

Bennett Griffin has created 80 Dementia Friends – individuals, charities and carers. Thursday’s session with Sight Support, Worthing. Talk with Probus next week. Ian has offered to run sessions at anylocal organisations.

David Richardson is retiring. Nick will be taking his place.

Tim Wilkins thanked everyone for their support at the successful the Carol Service.

Venues for meetings offered

Haviland House for future meetings

Alz Society also reaffirmed their room was available but not until after 4

pm.

Library Lecture Theatre

Swandean

Field Place

Oct Offington Park Methodist Church

Access to 3 noticeboards via Hazel Thorpe?

Chris to come back with a date for David Sheard and also Haviland House for a future open meeting.

Next Meeting:

Tuesday 6 March at 4 pm. Lecture Theatre, Worthing Library, Richmond Road, Worthing.

Speaker: Frances Usher-Smith, Dementia Matron, Western Sussex NHS Hospital Trust.

Contact emails:

Tom Wye:

Cllr Bob Smytherman:

Jacqui Swindells:

Tim Wilkins:

Julia Johnson:

Dawn Fairbrother:

Kelly Compton:

See for more details or facebook @Dementia Friendly Worthing or twitter: @DFWorthing