The new resource was launched at the Healthcare Innovation Expo. It will support the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge by:
- raising the profile of the wider nursing contribution to dementia care
- describing what is expected of all nurses to meet the level and quality of care expected in all care settings.
The vision demonstrates the 6 Cs for dementia care: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. It builds on ‘Compassion in Practice’, the national vision for nurses, midwives and care staff.
The DH states that there is a need to ensure people with dementia have the best, compassionate care and support from all nurses and their teams. All nurses can make a contribution across the dementia pathway, irrespective of provider, whether it’s within the NHS, social, private, voluntary or prison sectors. It goes on to say that this support starts right from keeping well, awareness raising and reducing social stigma, through to early identification, diagnosis, maintaining health and wellbeing and finally end of life care and bereavement support for carers and their families.
Pauline Watts, Nursing Professional Officer, Clinical Advisor Public Health Nursing and DH Nurse Lead for Dementia Care, said:
“Dementia is every nurse’s business – with a change in mindset, practice, commissioning and education, nurses can make a real difference to people living with dementia and their carers and families.”
The dementia nursing vision has been developed by stakeholders from a wide range of NHS and other organisations, and carers, bringing together partners and clinicians with expertise and interest in dementia. They shared and consulted on the document with experts from the health, social care and voluntary sectors and their wider networks.
More information can be found on the Department of Health website.
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