QUALITY STANDARDS

The Memory Assessment Service, your GP, or a dementia advisor offer you and your carer an appointment to develop a personalised dementia care plan, which is a strength-based document that agrees goals, identifies support needs, develops and implement action plans, and monitors progress. The personalised dementia care plan focusses on ‘What really matters to me’ and those around them affected by dementia.

Your care plan may discuss the following:

• dementia treatment and review of this
• what post diagnosis support you may be interested in and what is on offer locally
• access to psychosocial interventions
• peer support networks
• keeping physically active, smoking cessation, reducing alcohol intake, maintain a healthy weight, keep cholesterol and blood pressure at a healthy level
• advanced care planning
• finance issues
• legal issues including planning to undertake lasting powers of attorney (health and welfare, finance)
• discussion about driving safely and planning ahead in relation to driving assessments
• other conditions that you may develop and where to obtain support in the future
• information on delirium
• contingency planning and preparing for vulnerabilities and risks

You will be asked if the care plan can be shared with other services who provide help and support. You will also be provided with a copy of the care plan and can make amendments if you feel it doesn't reflect the discussion that was held.

Your care plan should be reviewed regularly, at least once a year, but it could every six months or whatever frequency is best for you. You can also request to have your care plan reviewed when your or your carer's needs change.
 
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If you have created a care plan with one service or team you can discuss issues in the care plan with others. For example, your GP is able to digitally access and read a care plan plan drawn up with a dementia advisor. After discussing the issue you GP can then update the care plan and makes it digitally available to the dementia advisor. You should never need to explain or bring your care plan to other services.
 
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All staff that you have contact with, are provided with the relevant training to be able to offer you the assistance and support that you may require.
 
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You are engaged as an equal partner in the planning of care strategies that may need some considered discussion and thought; particularly if your loved one is presenting with complex advancing symptoms of dementia. You are offered a package of support as a carer which recognises your personal experiences and offers a person centred approach.
 
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You will be offered the opportunity to find out more about and sign up to Join Dementia Research by Memory Assessment Service staff or by the service which creates and reviews your care plan. They can help you sign up immediately or show you where to find out more information to decide later.

The focus of Joining Dementia Research is to increase the recruitment of volunteers, increase the numbers on the research register, match them to appropriate studies, and increase participation whilst informing volunteers of research opportunities. Anyone, with or without dementia, can register as a volunteer or sign-up for someone else, providing that you have their consent. Signing up is the first step in becoming involved in supporting vital research studies.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.