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Persona

Persona is a local authority trading company of Bury Council which delivers adult social care services to people to support them to maintain their independence for as long as well in safe and stimulating environments.

Updated:
5 November 2015
Location:
North West
Sectors:
Care
Local Alliances:
Bury Dementia Action Alliance

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?

We directly support many people who are living with dementia. We also provide support and advice to their carers. Our main service provision around dementia is day support and short stay residential . These services include provision of meaningful and stimulating activity sessions, social interaction, and carer respite. In addition, we support people with a learning disability who also develop dementia. Our role is to support people to maintain a meaningful life despite the complexities of their conditions and to support them to maintain an independent life with maximum choice and control right through to end of life. Our role is to enable people to live with dementia rather than to suffer from it. Our focus is ensuring that someone remains an individual, preserving dignity and supporting them to maintain independence. Our specialist Dementia centre Pinfold Lane is renowned within Bury as a centre of excellence and provides an invaluable support to many people.

2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?

There are many things that are a priority within our organisation and it can be a challenge to ensure that staff are trained in every one of these areas. Dementia may not be the most prevalent issue within certain customer groups and therefore the focus of training may be in different areas. However, understanding needs to cut across the whole organisation so that the early signs of dementia can be spotted and support and advice provided. Being able to deliver good outcomes means staff within the organisation understanding how to promote choice and control. This can sometimes be daunting as there are many considerations around mental capacity, best interests, appropriate risk taking which need to be balanced and thoroughly considered. It can also be an additional challenge to balance the carer’s perspective of what choices an individual should have with what they want for themselves. Skilled risk assessment and communication are a key feature of the approach required.

Member website

www.personasupport.org

2. Actions

  • 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 by the end of 2013.

    Status:
    Planning

  • Meaningful activity

    Designing therapeutic activity programs which build on skills and experiences which are familiar to people from points in their life before they developed dementia for example woodwork sessions, light housekeeping, dusting, folding laundry etc.

    Status:
    Initial Scoping

  • Activity champion role

    We can facilitate other organisations in adopting similar activities by adopting a ‘champion/co-ordinator’ role on stimulating activities. This includes hosting and co-ordinating a dementia scrap store and providing support, advice and guidance to activity co-ordinators in other organisation to share good and showcase what works well.

    Status:
    Initial Scoping

  • Environment audits

    We can audit our environments to ensure that they are dementia friendly and make adjustments where we feel this would help. We can services that have exceeded the standard and learn what can be improved. We can keep a portfolio of what good looks like.

    Status:
    Planning

  • Increasing the number of people we can help

    Encourage people with dementia and their carers to access our dementia friendly environments on a drop in basis where this would benefit them.  Share our resources and encourage partnership working. Share leaflets and information and join forces to promote large events.

    Status:
    Initial Scoping

  • Passing on knowledge and skills

    Work with out partner organisations and contractors to ensure that they have a minimum basic awareness of dementia.

    Status:
    Planning
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