Douglas Macmillan Hospice and St Giles Hospice have teamed up as part of an innovative GP-led project called Memory First, which sets out to redefine the way people with dementia are cared for.
Spearheaded by GP Dr Ian Greaves from the Gnosall Health Centre in Stafford, Memory First aims to deliver an integrated care solution and moves away from the traditional, purely medical model currently in use.
Dr Greaves explains: “With an ageing population the old models of dementia care are not sustainable. Carrying on in the same way is simply not an option.
“Integration is crucial in delivering a package of care that supports those with dementia, and their families. We need a system that is quick to respond and simple to navigate, and that is what Memory First offers.”
Drawing on expertise from The King’s Fund, the London School of Economics and Brunel University, and working in collaboration with a whole host of organisations – including both St Giles and Douglas Macmillan Hospices – Dr Greaves’ team has trialled the system with 162 GPs in 41 practices across the region.
The service provides fully integrated care by bringing consultant-led clinics into the community and drawing together social care services and end of life support.
The patient remains in the community under the responsibility of their GP with support from secondary care expertise as required. Patient care plans are held and managed by the patient and their family using innovative new smartphone apps.
And at the heart of the service is the new role of the Eldercare Facilitator.
Recruited and managed by Douglas Macmillan Hospice and St Giles Hospice, a team of Eldercare Facilitators, which includes many retired healthcare professionals, act as intelligent companions and advocates for patients and help to coordinate access to services.
Michelle Roberts, Chief Executive of Douglas Macmillan Hospice, said: “We were delighted to be able to lend our support to this innovative programme of care. Although the Eldercare Facilitators are funded by the NHS, we were able to use our expertise to identify and recruit the very best people for the job.
“Two teams of Facilitators, managed by ourselves and our friends at the St Giles Hospice in Lichfield, will champion patients, their families and their carers and work to ensure they get the support they need at such a difficult time.”
Speaking in the local press, Peter Holliday, Group Chief Executive of St Giles Hospice, added: “Dementia is rapidly becoming a major health concern. Care providers such as St Giles Hospice have much to offer as the government looks for ways to improve the quality of care available to people with this disease at end of life.
“St Giles Hospice is committed to serving the local community in the best way we can. Joining the local debate on improving end of life care, alongside our participation in innovative projects such as Memory First … will allow us to play a part in ensuring that the care available to people living with dementia in our community is of the highest possible standard.”
The results from Memory First have been incredibly successful, both in terms of improved patient care and cost-effectiveness.
The project was recognised in the 2013 NHS Innovation Partnership Challenge, and was singled out for its success in integrating medical, non-medical and charitable organisations to meet the needs of ‘the community, the client and the NHS as a whole’. The project was rewarded with an £80,000 prize.
You can learn more about the successful service in a short video featuring Dr Greaves on You Tube.
Leave a Reply