The Community Dementia Nurse

Details Sarah Hancock Community Dementia Nurse Integrated learning disability team for Walsall Base: Allens Centre Willenhall Telephone:

What does Dementia mean? Dementia is an illness in the brain. It affects lots of things, but mostly how people remember and do things. Our brain helps us to do everything because it tells our body what to do. For example: To remember things How to walk and talk How to eat How to dress ourselves

What can happen when Dementia harms the brain. A persons behaviour can start to change. They can forget how to do things that they could do before. For example: -Forgetting peoples names -Losing their way -Forget how to dress themselves correctly -Being a lot slower at doing everyday things

Emotions and feelings can be affected as well and they may feel frightened, angry, sad or lonely. They can forget words that they want to say, which may make them shout, scream or cry a lot because they are feeling frustrated. They may ask the same questions and talk about the same things over and over again.

If any of these things start to happen then there are people who can help you. These may include a G.P, Consultant, Community dementia nurse, Community nurses, Speech therapist, Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Social worker and others.

The role of the Community Dementia Nurse To provide: Assessment – screening, specialist assessments and investigations. Treatment Advice and support For adult service users who have an increased risk of developing dementia, may have it suspected or have had it diagnosed.

Other main parts of my role will include : -Educator: service users, carers, students, GPs, other professionals -Health action planning -Person centred planning -Advice and support for service users, carers and all other people involved in a persons care -Personal and professional development -Research: to ensure best practice and evidence based care and treatment -Integrated team working -Monitoring of care and services

The Walsall Downs Syndrome and Dementia screening programme From the age of 18, all people who have Downs Syndrome are eligible to be part of this programme. It involves an assessment that looks at everyday skills and what a person is able to do. It also looks at any health concerns that a person may have. After the first assessment is completed, a baseline is then available, so when the next assessment is due we can see if there have been any changes. If there have, then investigations can be done to see if these changes are connected to dementia. If the person is aged 18 – 35 then they will have an assessment every 5 years. Over 35 years of age will be assessed every 3 years.