Who Cares Wins

[Skye]

Lots of members have had issues with the way out loved ones have been treated in general hospitals.

Who Cares Wins is a booklet produced by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, giving guidelines for the treatment of patients with dementia and other mental illnesses. It's endorsed by AS.

It's a bit technical in places, but well worth a look. I'd particularly suggest reading the recommendations.

A couple of quotes:

Mental disorder is frequently present in older people admitted to a general hospital and will have serious consequences for the prognosis of that older person. Furthermore, mental disorder will have an adverse effect on the performance of the general hospital responsible for that older person’s care.

Older people with dementia are particularly vulnerable in general hospitals. They are highly susceptible to environmental change, suffer loss of independent function quickly, and the presence of dementia is a major risk factor for delirium. Consequently there are multiple reasons why it is important to identify this diagnosis at time of admission, and for general care staff to recognise the impact that the presence of cognitive impairment will have for the older person’s management and discharge.

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/PDF/WhoCaresWins.pdf

 

[helen.tomlinson]

Hello Skye

Last year Alan had to go into hospital for a hernia operation. They said it was a major repair and required a general anaesthetic. On the day things couldn't have been dealt with any better. At the pre-op assessment I explained that Alan had a dementia and queried what the affects of anaesthesia would have. On the day they allowed me to be with Alan all the time (apart from the op). Firstly the anaesthetist saw from Alan's notes that he had dementia and he said he thought that a general anaesthetic could have serious adverse affects and so he went to speak to the surgeon and they decided to operate another way. They were brilliant and seemed well informed. They seemed to realise that it was important to get Alan home and into familiar surroundings as soon as possible. I learnt things from them because I was even more ignorant about these things then. Fortunately his op went really well and he was the oldest in and the first out.

 

[Skye]

Helen, you and Alan have been very lucky. You obviously have a hospital that is very dementia-aware, as many are now.

We're working hard in our area to improve things, which is how I came by the booklet. We're actually planning a new hospital, which will be designed as dementia-friendly in all departments.

But we've heard a lot of horror stories on TP, and it's useful to know what you should be able to expect.

 

[helen.tomlinson]

Hi Skye

I am definitely on a steep learning curve. How exciting to be planning a new hospital which will be dementia-friendly in all departments. Wow. Ironically, the hospital that dealt with Alan's hernia is the same hospital where he saw the neurologist. That neurologist never came back to us with the results of Alan's tests and scans and our GP had to intervene in the end and even she said it was totally unacceptable. The very department one expects to be considerate proves to cause the most hassle of all!! Well done for all the hard work you are putting in to improve things.

Love Helen

 

[Margarita]

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[CYN]

Could you repeat that please Magarita
Cynthia x x