Agenda item

RESOLVED: That

·         that the content and key outcomes of the Dementia Strategy be noted;

·         the Committee champion the Dementia Friends programme, starting by incorporating it as a component of member training and development.

Tristan Brice (Associate Director, Integrated Commissioning Team) and Tom Brown (Executive Director for Community Services) presented this item to the Committee. The following key points were noted:

4.1. An eight-week consultation was undertaken to inform the Dementia Strategy and received over a 1000 response. Over 850 of those responses were gathered from door-knocking and in-person engagement exercises rather than electronically.

4.2. The consultation revealed that residents wanted the Council to:

·         identify and articulate what the targets were for each of the eight outcomes in the strategy over the next 3 years;

·         use Healthwatch and other partner organisations to articulate to residents each quarter, how well the Council was doing against a target set within the strategy;

·         arrange a series of consultations and workshops building upon the knowledge gained from the strategy’s development and addressing its outcomes;

·         develop short videos for each of the outcomes, showcasing the progress made through the ‘you said, we did’ approach.

4.3. In Lewisham, 0.4% of all residents were affected by dementia. Considering the intergenerational composition of households in Lewisham, officers were keen to ensure that the dementia strategy encompassed all age groups, recognising that this condition can impact anyone.

4.4. Officers noted that the Physical Activity Strategy presented to the Committee earlier in this meeting, did not mention how physical activity could reduce the risk of dementia.

The Committee members were invited to ask questions. The following key points were noted:

4.5. The Dementia Strategy was very well received by the Committee, who applauded its simplicity and use of plain language. The Committee was happy that the strategy acknowledged the impact of dementia on friends and families.

4.6. During the discussion, the importance of maintaining a balance between individuals’ choice to live in their own homes and ensuring they are not left isolated without community support was emphasised.

4.7. One of the Committee members highlighted the need to acknowledge the connection between hearing loss and dementia.

4.8. It was discussed that this was not a clinical strategy but rather a strategy for how the Council can support residents with dementia and their families to live as well as possible. However, officers were aware of the academic research in the field. Certain components of the strategy such as the built environment and use of transport were influenced by the model of care and support for dementia in Netherlands.

4.9. A Committee member enquired whether there were any equalities issues when it came to being diagnosed with dementia i.e., did people from certain communities struggle to get diagnosed.

4.10. In care facilities, there were usually planned interactive sessions for residents. However, it was observed that care packages for patients staying at home often lacked opportunities for meaningful engagement and interaction with others. A member of the Committee emphasised the importance of incorporating interactive sessions with other patients into the care packages.

4.11. One crucial aspect addressed by the strategy was the concept of ‘dying well’. This component underscored the significance of engaging in challenging conversations with individuals living with dementia and planning ahead to understand their wishes. It was noted that while discussing and planning for this aspect was difficult, it held tremendous importance in ensuring a dignified and satisfactory end-of-life experience.

4.12. The ‘Maximising Wellbeing at Home’ service was scheduled to go live on the 1^st of September 2023 and the ‘Maximising Wellbeing for Unpaid Carers’ service was scheduled to go live in July 2023. Both of these services focused on improving the wellbeing of the client and the unpaid carer. As part of this service, both clients and the carers would be supported by solution focused wellbeing coaches. 300 hours per week of coaching would be available to around 1600 wellbeing workers.

4.13. Officers asked the Committee to be the champions of the Dementia Friends programme.

4.14. The Committee discussed that they may consider a visit to the Ladywell centre to explore the opportunities that the centre presented if it were to be redeveloped.

4.15. The Committee Chair suggested that officers engage in a conversation with their colleagues to explore the possibility of their inclusion in the stakeholder forum mentioned in the Physical Activity Strategy.

RESOLVED: That

·         that the content and key outcomes of the Dementia Strategy be noted;

·         the Committee champion the Dementia Friends programme, starting by incorporating it as a component of member training and development.