I was online late last night when I stumbled across this article, published last week on the Department of Health & Social Security's web site entitled 'After a diagnosis of dementia: what to expect from health and care services'
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-what-to-expect-from-health-and-care-services
To be honest, some of the things it said I was quite gobsmacked by, for example:
"Following your diagnosis of dementia, you should have a care plan...You should get a written copy of it..."
"Your care plan should give you the name of the person who will coordinate all the different support you should get. This person will be your care coordinator. They will be the main point of contact for you and anyone who is helping to support you...."
"Your care coordinator should look at your care plan with you at least once a year to make sure you are getting support....(and)...make sure you know about the help you can get..."
"Your dementia care plan should link to any other care plans for other conditions...Your care coordinator will help make sure your physical and mental health is monitored..."
I have to say that this has not been my Mum's experience.She has never had a care plan of any description. The GP and the anti-coagulant clinic are on the ball with Mum's blood tests (she had a severe case of Thrombosis in her thirties and has been on warfarin ever since) but they have given up on monitoring her colitis due to her 'general frailty' (their words) and they are relying on her (or me) to self-report any problems. Crucially, no one is monitoring Mum's Alzheimer's/Vascular Dementia at all. The GP only conducts an annual medication review, which leaves me as carer feeling very unsupported as it's only me looking after her and monitoring the decline.
I'm not sure what to make of it all really. The use of the word 'expect' in the title makes it sound like these things should be accessible and available to PWD and their carers, but they don't seem to be. Are these some kind of new guidelines?
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-what-to-expect-from-health-and-care-services
To be honest, some of the things it said I was quite gobsmacked by, for example:
"Following your diagnosis of dementia, you should have a care plan...You should get a written copy of it..."
"Your care plan should give you the name of the person who will coordinate all the different support you should get. This person will be your care coordinator. They will be the main point of contact for you and anyone who is helping to support you...."
"Your care coordinator should look at your care plan with you at least once a year to make sure you are getting support....(and)...make sure you know about the help you can get..."
"Your dementia care plan should link to any other care plans for other conditions...Your care coordinator will help make sure your physical and mental health is monitored..."
I have to say that this has not been my Mum's experience.She has never had a care plan of any description. The GP and the anti-coagulant clinic are on the ball with Mum's blood tests (she had a severe case of Thrombosis in her thirties and has been on warfarin ever since) but they have given up on monitoring her colitis due to her 'general frailty' (their words) and they are relying on her (or me) to self-report any problems. Crucially, no one is monitoring Mum's Alzheimer's/Vascular Dementia at all. The GP only conducts an annual medication review, which leaves me as carer feeling very unsupported as it's only me looking after her and monitoring the decline.
I'm not sure what to make of it all really. The use of the word 'expect' in the title makes it sound like these things should be accessible and available to PWD and their carers, but they don't seem to be. Are these some kind of new guidelines?
