Kent Buddies Draft Ideas August 2012

Overview Buddies will offer informal support and friendship for people living with dementia, those recently diagnosed, carers, family members and their children. Buddies will have real experience of living with dementia. They will be people who want to share what they have learnt through their own experiences with others

A Buddy could.... Offer practical tips, especially for people caring for those living with dementia. Sign post to useful information. Be a first point of contact. Support the facilitation of getting people together and setting up small informal support groups. Accompany you to existing groups and introduce you to people. Act like “a bridge” between you or your loved one being diagnosed and more formal support being arranged. Have a “folder” of useful leaflets and information to share. Suggest practical coping strategies.

A Buddy could also... Show how to do everyday things for someone else, such as shaving, putting on make up and brushing your hair. Encourage you to keep a diary to record behaviour and feelings. Highlight things to look for, mainly when things change (UTI). Be sensitive, flexible and understanding of your needs. Use different communication approaches where telephone and face to face is not always appropriate. could be good. (This was seen as a key requirement)

Buddies will need.... Good local knowledge of people, places, groups and organisations. A support system (from a professional, similar to supervision). Ideally the buddies should be part of a bigger organisation or system. An online system giving local knowledge evolving from Dementia web. Clearly defined policies re confidentiality, ethics, vulnerable adults. To be available. To be already actively involved in local activities.

Buddies will NOT... Offer an opinion on a diagnosis Offer professional advice, instead they will be able to signpost people to the right organisation.

Considerations Ethics Confidentiality Clarity on providing support and friendship and not advice Training for volunteers especially on code of practice System will be local and not Kent wide.

Development of Idea Canterbury Group had a further workshop to share feedback from others and to develop and refine the “Buddy” idea further. A “buddy” relationship should be built gradually and could be based on a common interest rather than just an interest in dementia. For example a particular activity (walking), interest or hobby. People could meet each other at events already taking place, such as Memory Cafe’s or other clubs and groups The system could also develop a “Communications Pack”. The do’s and don’ts of communicating with people living with dementia. This could be offered as an awareness tool for popular tourist attractions in the area to use to train their staff (suggestions included Marlow Theatre, Shepherd Neame Brewery).

Development of Idea Volunteer Buddies must have experience of communicating with people living with dementia. If not they need to be offered some awareness training. The next “Memory Walk” organised in Canterbury in September could be a good place to promote the ideas of “buddies” and recruit a few people. The Memory Walk is in aid of dementia but no one living with dementia attended last year’s event! (Organisers details to follow) It is important to start “small” with a few buddies. NHS have volunteer protocols we could use to design the role description.