Pharmacy Counter Staff Training
Dementia
Claire Taylor
Health Improvement Lead
Warwickshire Public Health
Jo Min/Wendy Harkness
Alzheimer's Society
Aims of the session:
• To enhance understanding of dementia
• To enhance understanding of benefits of
being a Dementia Friendly Pharmacy
• To increase confidence to signpost to local
dementia services
Programme outline
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Welcome and introductions
Overview of dementia
Dementia Friendly Communities
Dementia services in Warwickshire
Resources
Evaluation and feedback
‘My yesterdays are disappearing and
my tomorrows are uncertain, so what
do I live for?
I live for each day, I live in the moment’
From ‘Still Alice’ by Lisa Genova
The bookshelf model of memory
storage
Hippocampus
memory
• memories like
books on a
bookshelf
• stored over time
• most recent on top.
Person with dementia
• bookshelf wobbles
• top shelf books affected
first
• progressively lower books
fall
Physical effects of Alzheimer’s
disease on the brain
Healthy brain
Brain with advanced
Alzheimer’s disease
Communication
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Listening
Body language
Whose reality
Physical contact
RESPECT
A healthy lifestyle may reduce
the risk of developing dementia
By keeping your body healthy – especially your heart – you can help to keep your brain healthy too.
What’s good for the heart is good for the brain.
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Eat healthily
Drink alcohol in moderation
Get active
Have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked
Keep a healthy weight
Stop smoking
Dementia Friendly Communities Warwickshire
Being dementia friendly includes:
• being aware of the impact of dementia on a
person and their life
• how this might affect their behaviour and their
ability to undertake everyday tasks
• enabling people with dementia to continue living a
good life by making them feel supported,
welcomed and encouraged to do the things they
have always enjoyed
• enhancing their confidence about accessing their
community.
Why is it important to become dementia
friendly?
• Now, and increasingly in the coming years people
accessing your business/organisation will either have
dementia or will know someone who does
• Local services and organisations need to be dementia
friendly to ensure they meet the needs of people with
dementia and their families
• Improving services for customers will improve access
to and use of your service
– increased business, increased recommendations,
contribution to community charters or quality assurance
programmes (i.e. community benefits).
How you can support people with dementia
Good people skills, including kindness, common sense, avoiding stress,
having good communication skills, and showing a good culture of customer
care is a great start.
Top tips when communicating with someone with dementia:
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If anxious – offer a seat in a quiet area / glass of water / contact someone
Communicate in a clear manner
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Don’t rush, speak clearly and calmly
Simple, short sentences
Use sign language and gestures to reinforce what you are saying
Allow time for a message to be understood
Listen to what the person is saying. It will help them feel valued and respected
Observe body language
Ensure you take into account carers as experts in the situation and value their
experience and advice, if offered
If necessary call the persons next of kin if you are able to get this from them,
your local community police officer, social services outreach, or emergency
services (last resort)
Make sure information you provide about your business is dementia friendly.
Example of dementia friendly communities
• Issue: A gentleman with dementia used to visit a
local store to purchase his daily paper. Whilst
there, he would pick up a chocolate bar and eat it
whilst walking around the shop, but forget to pay
for it. Eventually he got banned from the shop,
thus cutting off his only real access to the
community.
• Potential Solution: If staff in the store had more
awareness around dementia and understood the
reasons for this behaviour, in this case
forgetfulness related to the dementia, they could
scan the item at the same time as scanning the
paper without causing the gentleman distress.
Create a dementia friendly environment
• Premises should be easy to orientate in - there should be clear
landmarks / signage to assist people finding their way round.
Consider arrangement of furniture
• Well lit / natural light / avoid unnecessary noise
• Plain flooring, non reflective, flat and non slip
• Colour schemes / contrast colour of signs with backgrounds
• Avoid clutter and trip hazards
• Avoid reorganising furniture and swapping things round.
Become a Dementia Friend
• Anyone can become a Dementia Friend
• A Dementia Friend learns a little bit more about
what it's like to live with dementia and then turns
that understanding into action - anyone of any age
can be a Dementia Friend. From helping someone
to find the right bus to spreading the word about
dementia on social media, every action counts
• For more information, please visit:
www.dementiafriends.org.uk/article/aboutfriends/what-is-a-friend
Actions to become dementia friendly
Complete action plan today and commit to
achieving your actions
To be achieved within next three months
Services to support people
living with dementia
Alzheimer’s Society Services
• National Dementia
helpline
• Talking Point
• Information
• Dementia Cafes
• Day Support
• Dementia Support
Other services
Range of services across Warwickshire, including:
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Carers support
Peer support
Post diagnosis support
Day services
Services may be provided in certain areas and may not be county wide.
Please see:
www.livingwellwithdementia.org
for details of services in your area.
www.livingwellwithdementia.org
Portal Feedback
‘Your website is fantastic. Thanks’…‘I've
learned more this morning than in 2 years
since father-in-law was diagnosed’. – Carer
of person with dementia
The Portal has also been covered by the
Guardian Social Care Network and praised
by Prime Minister, David Cameron, in the
Commons.
For further information
Visit the Living Well with Dementia Portal:
www.livingwellwithdementia.org
Follow us on Twitter:
@DementiaCandW
Get the latest news from the blog:
http://livingwellwithdementiacoventryandwarwickshire.wordpress.com/
Alzheimer’s Society:
www.alzheimers.org.uk
Warwickshire LPC:
http://psnc.org.uk/warwickshire-lpc/
Books on Prescription - Dementia
• Self-help library books scheme
• GPs/PNs 'prescribe' recommended self help books/audio
CDs for people with dementia and those with mild to
moderate mental health conditions
• Available for anyone to borrow free from their local
library
• Full details on:
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/booksonprescription
(Descriptions of all the books / audio CDs, user guide)
Books on Prescription
Libraries with collections
North Warwickshire
Atherstone, • Coleshill, • Dordon, • Polesworth
Nuneaton & Bedworth
Nuneaton, • Bedworth, • Bulkington, • Camp Hill
Rugby
Rugby
Stratford
Stratford, • Alcester, • Shipston, • Southam
Warwick
Leamington, • Kenilworth, • Lillington, • Warwick
Warwickshire Exercise Referral Scheme
People with an early to mid-stage dementia diagnosis can benefit from the
Warwickshire Exercise on Referral Scheme.
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12 week programme of physical activity, normally at a leisure centre, at
reduced prices
Referral by GP, Practice Nurse or any healthcare professional
People with early to mid-stage dementia can come along by themselves or
with a carer
Activity programme is specially developed for individual participants with an
exercise instructor who will offer support and encouragement to become
more active
The activity programme will include gym based activities and possibly
swimming and exercise classes.
For more information contact the Exercise Referral Co-ordinator:
• Tel: 02476 574889
• E-mail: exercisereferral@cswsport.org.uk
• Web: www.cswsport.org.uk/exercisereferral
Resources
• Dementia Friendly Communities resources
• Living Well with Dementia portal:
– wristbands, bookmarks and poster
• Living Well with Dementia leaflets
– Concerned about your memory
– How a healthy lifestyle could reduce the risk of dementia
– Benefits of physical activity for people with dementia
• Booklets / leaflets from Alzheimer’s Society
• Dementia fact sheets - see Alzheimer’s Society web-site
• Books on Prescription – dementia flyer and bookmarks
• Claire Taylor
Health Improvement Lead
Warwickshire Public Health
• T: 01926 413728
• E: clairetaylor@warwickshire.gov.uk
Jo Min
Support Services Manager Information and Education
Alzheimer's Society
T: 01926 88 88 99
E: jo.min@alzheimers.org.uk
Thank you