Dementia and Care News Stories From This Week

Here are a couple of news stories about some revolutionary ways of caring for people in the community and with dementia which we spotted on the BBC News website this week.

The first covers how care homes across Kent are pioneering a new type of dementia therapy using dolls to help support elderly people.

Evidence suggests that encouraging sufferers to care for the dolls can help them cope with the condition and you can view this video story on the BBC News site using the following link Kent care home dolls helping elderly with dementia.

The second story covers a new approach to community care in the Netherlands which means patients need 30 to 40 per cent fewer hours of care.

The teams of district nurses nurses staffing the project each serve a neighbourhood of about 10,000 people and run themselves with no managers.

They're available round-the-clock and - working closely with GPs - organise all the supporting care. To read the story in full please use the following link Dutch district nurses rediscover 'complete care' role.

There are currently just over 42,700 people living with dementia in Wales and it's important to note that the effect on the individual is different in each case.

Much work has taken place in Wales recently to identify the areas that need to be addressed to improve the lives of those with and affected by dementia.

This has led to the creation of the National Dementia Vision for Wales which provides a long-term vision to ensure  Wales can best meet the challenge of an increasing number of people living with dementia across the country.

If you have any questions about WaMH in PC's work with dementia in Wales please contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.