Living with Dementia Forum with response
Summary:
35 people attended the forum and a total of 87 comments were collected of which the following key findings can be highlighted:
- Prior to diagnosis family members highlighted a worry over the impact that a diagnosis may have and concerns over a lack of understanding around power of attorney and other legal issues.
- During diagnosis and shortly after many of the worries people had remained the same i.e. legal implications, however concerns over waiting times for support were also mentioned.
- After diagnosis interactions with care agencies and networks of support increased although these experiences were not always positive.
- Living with dementia raised difficulties when managing multiple agencies and again concerns around legalities.
- At points of deterioration family members highlighted a lack of communication and at time repeat hospital transfers which accumulated in poor experiences.
Conclusion:
The forum provided a safe space in which many people could express their feelings and highlight concerns. It was evident that much more work around the legalities connected to diseases such as Dementia need to be done and that communication and support services need to be better coordinated to ensure individuals and family members feel supported.
The report was shared with Bolton CCG, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Bolton Dementia Support. Details of their responses can be found in the full report by clicking on the button below:
Downloads
For the full responses please click the link below to read our report in full
