WaMH in PC's blog

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) began back in 1997 in Australia and since then has developed into a training and Research Program which is currently delivered in 20 other countries.

Wales is one of the nations to have taken up MHFA which gives people the skills to help the one in four of us who suffer from mental health problems each year.

The earlier a mental health problem is detected and treated, the better the outcome and MHFA will provide you with the skills and confidence to support people in their time of need.

The Mental Health First Aid (Wales) site helps explain why you should take the course and what you will learn by taking it before helping you find a local course and instructor in your local area.

MHFA training saves and improves lives and takes just 12 hours to complete leaving you able to recognise the signs and symptoms of someone with mental health problems and to respond to their crises and support and signpost them towards the appropriate help.

For further informaton please visit the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) site.

If your life has been affected by dementia in any way advice and support help could just be a click away.

There are currently just over 42,700 people living with dementia in Wales and much work has taken place across the country recently to improve the lives of those with and affected by the condition.

Talking Point is the Alzheimer's Society's online support and discussion where you ask for advice, share information, join in discussions and feel supported if your life has been affected in any way by dementia.

The site offers a range of forums where you can find out all you need to know about support for people with dementia, what to do if you're worried about your memory through to how cope with you have the condition and how to deal with the loss which comes after dementia.

All you have to do to join a discussion or even start a new one is to register or if you need any help just because you're new to this sort of thing just take a look at the site's Help videos or main Help section.

To ensure Wales can best meet the challenge of the increasing number of people living with dementia the National Dementia Vision for Wales has been created which provides a long-term vision on how to tackle this issue.

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

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.