Alzheimer's Society
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia support and research charity. We provide services, fund research and advise health and social care professionals. Working nationally and locally, we campaign for improved care and greater awareness and understanding of dementia.
- Updated:
- 18 July 2017
- Location:
- East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, Yorkshire and Humber, North West, North East, South East, South West, National
- Sectors:
- Care, Recreation, Voluntary Sector
- Local Alliances:
- Wolverhampton Dementia Action Alliance, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Dementia Action Alliance, Solihull Dementia Action Alliance, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Dementia Action Alliance, Herefordshire Dementia Action Alliance, Sandwell Dementia Action Alliance, Birmingham Dementia Action Alliance , Redditch and Bromsgrove Dementia Action Alliance, Coventry and Warwickshire Dementia Action Alliance, Bexhill Dementia Action Alliance, Kent Dementia Action Alliance (KDAA) - see kentdaa.org, Westminster Dementia Action Alliance, South Staffordshire Dementia Action Alliance, Malvern Dementia Action Alliance, Lewisham Dementia Action Alliance, Dudley Dementia Action Alliance, Medway Dementia Action Alliance, Evesham Dementia Action Alliance, Kidderminster Dementia Action Alliance, Dementia Friendly Leominster, Cannock Chase Dementia Action Alliance, Ombersley Dementia Action Alliance, Tamworth Dementia Friendly Community
1. Action Plan
1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?
Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading support, care and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers. We provide information and support for those with any form of dementia and their carers. We advise and train professionals working in the field, fund research, run quality support and care services, and campaign for improved health and social care and greater public understanding of dementia.
We work in partnership with others to ensure that support is always there for people with dementia and that people receive a timely diagnosis, that the condition is understood and that people with dementia have the same rights as other members of society. We will achieve this through funding scientific breakthroughs, strengthening communities by increasing understanding of the needs of people with dementia and the contribution of carers and striving to put an end to discrimination and stigma.
2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?
Dementia is higher on the public and political agenda than it has ever been. We have seen action across England to begin implementing the National Dementia Strategy. The task at hand now is to use that strong position and build on the momentum achieved by creating a broad church of individuals and organisations committed to action.
Public awareness of dementia is rising but understanding about dementia is poor. There is limited public appreciation that it is possible to live well with dementia and to make big differences to quality of life for people with dementia and their carers. Poor understanding is something common among the general public as well as people working in health and social care services.
People with dementia are diagnosed too late and families often report not receiving the information and support they need to begin living well with dementia. People with dementia often face social isolation and poor outcomes.
There is a limited amount of funding going into dementia research compared to other major disease groups like cancer.
In a difficult economic climate we need to clearly make the case for action on dementia to achieve better outcomes in a cost effective way.
Most importantly we need to work with people with dementia, their carers and families to understand what matters most to them in order to transform quality of life for all people living with dementia.
Member website
www.alzheimers.org.uk/2. Actions
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Champion Public Understanding of Dementia
We will champion public understanding of dementia through national and local awareness campaigns, and by supporting people with dementia to speak out and tell their own stories.
- Status:
- Delivery
2015 - First Quarter Update
Alzheimer's Society have now reached our initial target of creating 1 million Dementia Friends as of February 2015. We now aim to reach an additional three million people over the next five years - four million Dementia Friends by 2020, and continue to raise levels of public awareness and understanding of dementia.
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
On March 26th, Alzheimer's Society hosted the Dementia 2012 conference in London and launched our Dementia 2012: A national challenge report. The report describes how all people are living withdementia in 2012 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
2012 – First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Develop Quality Information and Support Services
We will continue to develop quality information and support services for people with dementia, their carers and families through local information and support services, our website and helplines.
- Status:
- Implementation
2015 - First Quarter Update
Alzheimer's Society launched Accessing and sharing information: Acting on behalf of a person with dementia, a booklet providing information and advice to anyone wishing to share information with, or access information held by, a company, if the information relates to a person they are caring for. This booklet should help people understand what they can and cannot do when managing someone else’s affairs. It explains rights and provides practical information.
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012– Second Quarter Update
As a whole Alzheimer’s Society continually strive to achieve all these things in their everyday operation
2012– First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Improve the Skills of the Dementia Care Workforce
We will improve the skills of the dementia care workforce by developing and delivering high quality education programmes to staff across a range of dementia care settings and through the use of our approved trainer scheme.
- Status:
- Planning
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
No direct comment on this point
2012 – First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Develop More and Better Services for People with Dementia
We will use evidence from the demonstrator sites on dementia advisers and peer support networks to develop more and better services for people with dementia and their carers.
- Status:
- Delivery
2015 - First Quarter Update
Alzheimer's Society' Operations Directorate have published Operations Forward View - Delivering on Dementia 2012-17, to realise the ambition of enabling more people affected by dementia to access services, and receive information and support in ways that work well for them.
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
The theme of this year’s Alzheimer's Society Dementia Awareness Week (May 20 – 26) was “remember the person”. During the week, we launched the five things you should know about dementia.
2012 – First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Campaign for Fairer Deals
We will work with people with dementia, their carers and families to campaign for a fairer deal on the issues that matter to them - early diagnosis, access to the right care and treatment, and investment in dementia research - and ensure their needs are recognised by decision makers at national and local level.
- Status:
- Implementation
2015 - First Quarter Update
The Right to Know campaign is now entering its second year, and aims to ensure everyone with dementia receives the certainty of a diagnosis and the right information and support to come to terms with, and manage their condition. Alzheimer's Society delivered a petition of 67,000 signatures to Downing Street, calling for better access to diagnosis and post diagnosis support.
We are also working with NHS England and a number of CCGs to improve diagnosis rates through our supporting diagnosis project.
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
The Prime Minister, speaking at the Alzheimer's Society’s conference in March, launched his challenge on dementia - delivering major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015. There are three key areas of focus: improvements in health and care, creating dementia friendly communities that understand how to help, and better research.
We have attended a number of meetings with Department of Health officials to discuss social care reforms in England, ahead of the publication of the White Paper.
The policy team are working on a project to look at the quality of care for people with dementia who live in care homes.
Update – First Quarter 2012
Nothing to report
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Increase Money Spend on Dementia Research
We will fund a programme of research into prevention, cause, care and cure of dementia. We will increase the amount of money we spend on dementia research by 20 per cent per year.
- Status:
- Planning
2015 - First Quarter Update
Alzheimer’s currently supports a research programme of over £20million of active research, spanning from basic laboratory research through to allied research.
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
No direct comment on this point
2012 – First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Develop 150 Local Community Dementia Forums
We will develop 150 local community dementia forums which will bring together people with dementia, carers, health and social care professionals and others to understand the local experience of people with dementia and work out solutions.
- Status:
- Delivery
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
As part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society, and broadcaster, Angela Rippon OBE, are the Co-Chairs of the Dementia Friendly Communities Champion Group. The Champion Group will report to the Prime Minister in September outlining what action needs to be taken to create dementia friendly communities.
The Prime Minister visited Alzheimer's Society to listen to the views and opinions of the Champion Group about what action needs to taken by organisations become more dementia friendly.
The Champion Group for Dementia Friendly Communities has launched a public engagement exercise seeking views of how to create dementia friendly communities. The consultation questions can be accessed at:
http://dementiachallenge.dh.gov.uk/2012/05/28/dementiafriendlyquestion/
2012 – First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Develop Evidence about Cost Effective Interventions
We will work with a range of partners to develop evidence about cost effective interventions for people with dementia and their carers.
- Status:
- Implementation
2014 - Third Quarter Update
As part of our work around improving diagnosis and access to post diagnosis support, Alzheimer's Society is carrying out work to evaluate the clinical, social and cost effectiveness benefits of the role of the Dementia Adviser, in order to increase the level of evidence around the effectiveness of their role and the support that they provide for people affected by dementia.
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
We met with the Department of Work and Pensions Partnerships team and explored ways of linking their work to the activities of the Alzheimer's Society.
2012 – First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Publish works about Dementia Supportive Communities
We will work with partners to develop and publish evidence about dementia supportive communities.
- Status:
- Implementation
2015 - First Quarter Update
With a new Community Engagement function recently formed at Alzheimer’s Society, work is underway to more closely align the activities of Dementia Friendly Communities, Local Dementia Action Alliances and Dementia Friends. As part of this work the team will be looking to improve and develop the next stage of the dementia-friendly communities recognition process. This is leading on from work with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and expert steering group to develop a Code of Practice (PAS 1865) for people wanting to create dementia-friendly communities and which is designed to support dementia friendly community development. the Code of Practice will be published in early summer.
2012 – Third Quarter Update
No third quarter report
2012 – Second Quarter Update
See 7th and 8th action notes on related progress
2012 – First Quarter Update
Nothing to report
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Annual Report on Progress
We will provide the secretariat for the Dementia Action Alliance and, working with the Alliance, publish an annual report on progress.
- Status:
- Delivery
2015 - First Quarter Update
Alzheimer's Society will continue to provide the secretariat for the Dementia Action Alliance and, working with the Alliance, publish an annual report on progress
2012 – Third Quarter Update
DAA release of quarterly reports
2012 – Second Quarter Update
DAA release of quarterly reports
2012 – First Quarter Update
DAA release of quarterly reports