Today, 21 September, is World Alzheimer’s Day, an opportunity to raise awareness of dementia and highlight the work taking place to support people living with dementia, their families and carers.
Across Cardiff and the Vale, the Regional Partnership Board’s Dementia Programme brings together health, local government, third sector organisations, communities and people with lived experience.
Our programme focuses on prevention and compassionate communities, community care and support, memory assessment and diagnosis, hospital care and workforce empowerment – providing a joined-up approach from prevention and diagnosis through to care and ongoing support.
Creating dementia-friendly communities
At the heart of our approach is an ambition to create communities where people living with dementia are understood, respected, supported and included.
Dementia-friendly communities bring together local people, businesses, organisations and services to help people affected by dementia continue to live well, maintain their independence and participate confidently in everyday community life.
Across Cardiff and the Vale, 944 organisations have pledged to become Dementia Friendly, with 2,774 employees recognising the challenges faced by people affected by dementia.
Our wider prevention work includes community resources and initiatives designed to help people understand dementia and access support. The regional dementia prevention handbook continues to reach communities across Cardiff and the Vale, while the co-produced Caring Through Change Handbook provides support around grief, sharing care and moving into residential care.
Putting lived experience at the heart of our work
Co-production is central to the Cardiff and Vale approach.
The Dementia Champions Network brings together people with lived experience and professionals so they can learn from each other and help improve experiences for people living with dementia and those who support them.
The network provides the RPB Dementia Programme with sense-checking, co-production guidance and expertise for dementia-related projects, helping to ensure that the voices and experiences of people affected by dementia influence our work.
Supporting people through assessment and diagnosis
Our Memory Assessment Service is an important part of dementia provision across Cardiff and the Vale.
GPs now cover 20–25% of referrals – around 2,250 people each year – while 93% of patients receive a full assessment and diagnosis at their first appointment. The service’s 11.8 memory link workers manage more than 10,000 contacts each year.
Demand continues to exceed capacity, and work is underway to improve waiting-list communication and signposting, develop a support pathway with Carer’s Gateway and use additional funding to help address pressures within the service.
Making our hospitals more dementia friendly
The Dementia Friendly Hospital Charter sets out principles for person-centred care that respects the dignity, preferences and needs of people living with dementia.
The Cardiff and Vale Hospital Charter Network brings together people interested and invested in dementia care to connect, share and learn, helping us improve the hospital experience for people affected by dementia and those who support them.
Building a dementia-informed workforce
We are also working to strengthen dementia knowledge and skills across health, social care and third sector partners.
Our workforce programme aims to ensure staff delivering care have access to appropriate education and development and are supported to put their learning into practice.
Cardiff and Vale is developing a new prospectus-style eBook bringing dementia learning opportunities together, including live links, embedded maps, accessibility features and multilingual translation. British Sign Language video content is also being explored.
Connecting, inspiring and working together
World Alzheimer’s Day provides an opportunity not only to raise awareness of dementia, but also to recognise the people and partnerships working every day to make a difference.
From dementia-friendly communities and prevention to diagnosis, hospital care, workforce development and co-production, our work across Cardiff and the Vale demonstrates what can be achieved when health, local government, third sector organisations, communities and people with lived experience work together.
Connecting – Inspiring – Working together.
Find out more about the Cardiff and Vale Dementia Programme and how you can get involved:
Cardiff and Vale Regional Partnership Board
