Team goes above & beyond for their dementia patients
Devoted workers from Borders facility have revolutionised the standards of care for the vulnerable by understanding their needs and pulling out all the stops to support them
EXPERT support can help patients and their families cope better with dementia.
So it’s fitting that a team involved in this vital work has been nominated in the Scottish Health Awards.
The Borders Dementia Specialist Unit go above and beyond in the care and attention they give patients.
The 12-bed unit has been nominated in the Care for Mental Health Award category in the 2021 Scottish Health Awards, run by the Record in partnership with the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland.
The 32 full-time staff, based at Borders General Hospital, are among the healing heroes in the country’s health and social care services who are being celebrated by the awards, now in their 20th year.
Clinical nurse manager Lisa Clark said: “I’m so pleased the team has been nominated in the Scottish Health Awards – it’s well deserved as they have worked really hard through the pandemic in much more challenging conditions.
“Communication with the patients is more difficult when wearing PPE and face coverings.”
There are about 90,000 people with dementia in Scotland, with around 3000 under the age of 65.
Dementia is not part of the natural ageing process, according to Alzheimer Scotland. The disease affects the brain, making it harder to remember things or think as clearly as before.
The term covers more than 100 different types of illnesses and disease symptoms. Symptoms may include memory loss and difficulties with day-to-day tasks, language and problem solving.
The Borders Dementia Specialist
Unit was redesigned in 2019 in line with recommendations set out in report Transforming Specialist Dementia Care, which was led by Alzheimer Scotland and commissioned by the Scottish Government.
The document set out a model of specialist dementia hospital care for people with dementia who have intensive and complex needs that require a high level of expert care.
“We followed recommendations to focus on person-centred care, making sure our multi-disciplinary team are skilled in observation and assessment, and that they are there for the patient,” added Lisa.
“The focus is on getting to know the patient to better understand and meet their needs. Talking to their families is a big part of this.
“We also looked at the environment to make sure we have enough space to make it more dementia-friendly.
This reduces stress and distress and cuts the number of falls.
“We redesigned the unit, reducing the number of beds, and looking at the furniture, the colours in the ward and signage. We made sure floors are not too slippery and that there are clear lines of sight. We also made sure it’s not too noisy.
“Patients come to us for assessment of their care needs and to see if we can reduce their stress and any symptoms.
“The ward staff invite family to take part in the discharge process and we work as closely as possible with the carer to make sure everyone understands the person’s needs and that the carer and patient are supported.”