People with dementia should be offered advice and support on improving their general health and maximising quality of life after diagnosis.
You should be supported in understanding how to live healthily with dementia, maintaining a good quality of life, continuing with your social life, relationships with friends and family, and any hobbies and interests which you have. These aspects of your life should not be seen as irrelevant or less important by those who care and support you with your dementia.
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Regional offerings
Dementia Wellbeing Plan for Greater Manchester; Dementia United
Weblink: https://dementia-united.org.uk/dementia-wellbeing-plan/
Dementia Awareness Community training package
There is growing evidence to suggest that art, music and leisure activities can offer physical and psychological benefits to those living with a dementia and their care partners, benefits which can improve their brain health and help them maintain independence for longer: (https://arts4dementia.org.uk/sp/).
This is why Trafford and Wigan councils have come together with Dementia United and GreaterSport to fund an exciting piece of work which will empower community groups, businesses and leisure providers to support people living with cognitive impairment and dementia in their communities.
Working in partnership, Made by Mortals and Together Dementia Support have developed an immersive training experience co-produced and shaped by people living with dementia and their care partners.
The complete training package can be accessed here: www.madebymortals.org/dementia-resource/. This resource includes an immersive audio experience and PDF training materials. Dementia United are currently seeking expressions of interest from localities who would like to work with us to coordinate a train the trainer package for their communities, this will include a 3 to 4-hour workshop hosted by instructors with significant training and dementia experience and individuals who have lived experience of dementia.
IDoService
Understanding the Law Around Dementia: a Guide for Carers and Partners of People Living with Dementia
This presentation is covering:
Mental Capacity
Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment (ADRT)
Life Sustaining Treatment
Making a Will
Disclaimer: This document was prepared by students, is based upon the law as it stands as of 25th October 2022 and may be subject to change; it is intended as a guide to practice and does not amount to legal advice. It is not a substitute for legal advice upon the facts of any specific case. No liability is accepted for any adverse consequences of reliance upon it.
ESRC Presentations
National offerings
MSNAP Memory Assessment Service Standards
Weblink: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/ccqi/quality-networks-accreditation/memory-services-national-accreditation-programme-msnap/msnap-standards
Living with Dementia Toolkit - downloadable guide
The Guide is available in English and in Welsh. It introduces the toolkit and the resources available. For the full experience of the toolkit, you need to look at the website. QR codes link you back to the website at various points. There is a 'How to use QR codes' video lower down the page.
This can be downloaded here: https://livingwithdementiatoolkit.org.uk/home/living-with-dementia-toolkit-downloadable-guide/
Eating and Drinking well: supporting people living with dementia
Films can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlYPTTibTO8&t=28s
What are Lewy bodies?
A children’s book about Lewy bodies written by award-winning author Alex Winstanley and illustrated by Yogesh Mahajan.
A new book to help children understand Lewy body dementia is available to purchase Children's Book - What are Lewy bodies? (includes P&P) - The Lewy Body Society
Every book sold helps to promote awareness and fund research into Lewy body dementia.
The book is a partnership between The Lewy Body Society and Alex Winstanley.
Through the eyes of dementia
The videos are posted on YouTube in different languages
Through the eyes of dementia - 16 videos in different languages - view the full play list
Through the eyes of dementia (extended version) - English subtitles
Through the eyes of dementia (extended version) - English no subtitles
(short film) - English subtitles
(extended version) - Urdu translation
(extended version) - British Sign Language
(extended film) - Gujarati Translation
(extended version) - Hindi translation
Through the eyes of dementia (extended film) - Bengali Translation
Living with Dementia Toolkit - downloadable guide
Welcome to the Living with Dementia Toolkit for people with dementia and their carers. This set of resources is based on research, and the expert experiences of people with dementia and their carers. If you would like to learn more about how we developed them click here. These resources are here to:
- give you hope for the future
- inspire you through examples of real-life experiences
- offer ideas to help you live your life as you choose
Do you support someone living with dementia? Click here to read our Message for Carers.
Not everyone has access to the internet so we have produced a Guide to the Living with Dementia Toolkit that can be downloaded and printed off. We encourage peers, family members, and health and social care professionals to make use of this.
The Guide is available in English and in Welsh. It introduces the toolkit and the resources available. For the full experience of the toolkit, you need to look at the website. QR codes link you back to the website at various points. There is a How to use QR codes video. In this video, Steve Milton from Innovations in Dementia shows you how to use your phone camera to scan QR codes and open webpages. This is from the 'Virtual connections' resource https://livingwithdementiatoolkit.org....
We have some boxes of Guides for groups or services to distribute. Please contact IDEAL@exeter.ac.uk if you need these.
Evidence
Where appropriate to their needs, patients and carers are given accessible information about improving general health, living positively and maximising quality of life after diagnosis.
Best Practice Resources
The Quality of Life Wheel identifies 12 themes for discussion.
• Health
• Carer Support
• Emotional Well-being
• Getting out and about
• Personal Care and daily tasks
• House and Home
• Managing Medication
• Managing Money
• Friends, Family and People
• Communication
• Volunteering and Work
• Hobbies and Interests
The Living with Dementia Toolkit provides information and resources for people with dementia and their carers, based on research and expert experiences of people with dementia. The information in the toolkit falls under one of the following sections: Stay safe and well, Stay connected, Keep a sense of purpose, Stay active and Stay positive.