Top Tips for Enhancing Dementia Care in Childwall & Belle Vale
This guide provides essential strategies for improving dementia care in Childwall and Belle Vale neighborhoods. It emphasizes teamwork among healthcare professionals, including receptionists, pharmacists, GPs, and nurses, to effectively address cognitive impairment. Key recommendations include conducting appropriate blood tests to rule out treatable conditions, checking for depression, and enhancing chronic disease reviews with memory assessments. Early identification of dementia risk factors, creating a Dementia register, and fostering community support can significantly improve care outcomes and quality of life for patients and caregivers alike.
Top Tips for Enhancing Dementia Care in Childwall & Belle Vale
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Presentation Transcript
11 TOP TIPS Improving Dementia Care in Childwall & Belle Vale Neighbourhoods
Think Dementia as a team • Receptionists • Pharmacists – patients getting confused with repeat prescriptions • GP – patients presenting (repeatedly) with bizarre, nonsensical complaints • Relatives or carers expressing concerns • Bank Managers & other unexpected sources
Do the blood tests • Relevant bloods (QOF) to rule out other treatable causes of cognitive impairment • ECG – helpful where Donepezil contemplated
Check for Depression • Can often present as cognitive impairment especially in older patients • PHQ9 • Geriatric Depression questionnaire
Deafness ? • Check the patient’s ears !
Use Chronic Disease Reviews • 50% of patients will have vascular dementia rather than Alzheimers • Consider adding 2 memory questions to chronic disease review • Practice nurses have more time / are less intimidating than GPs • Opportunity to improve control of risk factors
New Dementia DES Targeted case finding of patients with: • Down’s syndrome over age 40 • Learning disability over age 50 • Cardio-vascular disease over the age 60 • Neurological disease
Screen • 6CIT – on EMIS and validated for use in primary care. Easy to do in a GP or practice nurse consultation • GPCOG - checks about carer • Clock face test – especially Alzheimers
Refer EARLY • Don’t be disappointed if patient returned to you with diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment • 50% of patients will not progress to dementia but 50% will ! • Gerontologists and psychiatrists do not have long waiting lists in Liverpool
Carer • Early identification of carer’s needs • More likely to feel supported • Less likely to have crisis presentation of dementia with associated emergency admission • Forward planning – Lasting Power of Attorney • Time for families to come to terms with diagnosis
Flag Delirium admissions • Consider creating ‘At risk of dementia’ register • Look out for dementia appearing on discharge letter de novo • Check with care home managers and community matrons for patients with undocumented dementia • Cleanse data - memory loss or dementia ?
End of Life Care plans • Working with Community Matrons and Dr Becky Bancroft • Patient and family prepared • Avoids unwanted unnecessary admissions • Peaceful death at home
