Warwickshire Living Well with Dementia Survey 2019

Closed 22 Mar 2019

Opened 11 Feb 2019

Feedback updated 15 Jul 2019

We asked

Current estimates indicate that there are 8,500 people living with dementia in Warwickshire and, of these, 59.5 percent have received a diagnosis.  This is below the national target of 67.9 percent. 

Warwickshire’s ‘Living Well with Dementia Strategy 2016-19’ outlined local priorities and needs but is approaching the end of the period.

Between 11 February and 22 March 2019, we carried out engagement with people with dementia, their families and carers as well as the general public and professionals.

The engagement was intended to get a better understanding of what was important to people and what needed to improve regarding dementia care and support in Warwickshire.  This was needed to help refresh the current dementia strategy and inform future commissioning of dementia services. Our intention was to seek a wide range of views through different formats and channels.

You said

There were 116 responses to the survey. The engagement also included face to face visits with dementia groups and services (eighteen in total), encompassing the different districts and boroughs of Warwickshire.  This included 275 people.  A presentation to a meeting of GPs about the dementia strategy was also delivered.

Out of this number certain issues were highlighted:

  • The need for better information about accessing dementia support and advice;
  • Better links and co-ordination of services for support after diagnosis;
  • Better support for dementia carers in undertaking their role as a carer and accessing training;
  • Recognition of community support groups and enhancing support for them, to make sure they do not duplicate each other but, equally, that they can be sustained as meaningful services;
  • Improving access for people from BME backgrounds and people with vulnerabilities, such as learning disabilities or LGBT, and taking their needs into account in commissioning activities in the future. 

Sixty-nine percent of the survey respondents were female, which is similar to the proportion seen in national statistics which highlight the female prevalence of dementia. 

Six key themes were identified:

  • Day Opportunities available in Warwickshire benefit people with all stages of dementia (not just early stage), providing them with opportunities to socialise and be stimulated;
  • Professionals and providers highlighted a gap in that the service is not commissioned currently to provide personal care.  This means there is ‘a limited supply of dementia day care including personal care in the market’;
  • People with dementia continue to use the service until they are unable to, either because they move to residential care or develop personal care needs;
  • The routine and structure of Day Opportunities helps carers benefit from regular breaks and look after their own wellbeing;
  • Communication between the service, service users with dementia and those caring for them is ‘robust and strong’.  These can help informal carers identify when the service user might need to see their GP;
  • The service helps people with dementia maintain independence and wellbeing.

The full results of the engagement are publicly available in ‘Engagement Report: Dementia: February to March 2019’.

We did

What are the next steps?

  • The key themes highlighted are being used to inform the refresh of the current dementia strategy and actively used in the service delivery plan.
  • Specific comments about individual services are being shared with those leading these services to inform operation and development (this includes partner agencies such as the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust, service providers, carers and voluntary community groups);
  • Two further surveys are being formulated, targeted specifically at customers of the current Dementia Day Opportunities and Dementia Navigator customers.  This is intended to collect detailed, specific service information that will be used to shape future services’ design and specification. 

The potential areas for development stem from the key themes which were evident from the engagement exercise:

  • Information and advice;
  • Support following diagnosis;
  • Support for carers;
  • Recognition and support for the community;
  • Improving access and service uptake from people with BME backgrounds or those with a barrier to accessing services.

The refreshed strategy will also celebrate the successes achieved to date, including:

  • Dementia services and support are well utilised in general and routinely used;
  • The wide range of vibrant and diverse community support services;
  • High commitment from staff and volunteers providing enthusiastic, personalised service for people living with dementia and their carers;
  • Service users value the support received and benefit from the positive impact on them. 

Results updated 20 May 2024

Files:

Overview

The Better Health, Better Care, Better Value Partnership is reviewing our local ‘Living Well with Dementia’ Strategy and the services and support available to people with dementia, their carers and families.

As part of this review we want to hear from a wide range of people about what they feel is important about access to services and support, what is working well and what could be improved. This information will help us to develop local dementia services and support and to help review our current dementia strategy.

Information that may help you to complete this survey:

The ‘Living Well with Dementia’ Strategy: is a plan which outlines the local priorities and needs of people living with dementia and their families or carers, and how health and care organisations will work together to support people to live well with dementia. A summary of the current strategy can be found at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/dementiastrategy.

Dementia Services and support:

The main types of dementia services and support available locally are;

  • Dementia Day Opportunities: Group based support where people socialise with others, undertake activities, eat meals together and are provided with support from dementia trained staff. Access to this service usually requires a social care assessment.
  • The Dementia Navigator Service: provide advice, information and emotional support to people with dementia and their families in all areas of Warwickshire about dementia specific issues and the things that are affecting them following a diagnosis. Support from this service can be provided over the phone, by email or face to face. You can self-refer to this service or can be referred by someone else.
  • Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust Memory Assessment service: Consists of a team of clinicians from different professional backgrounds with skills in assessing people to see if they have dementia. They also provide post diagnostic information and other support for people who have just been given a diagnosis of dementia

There are other types of services that support people with dementia, such as home or residential care and community based groups such as 'dementia cafes’ and GP practises.

What is The Better Health, Better Care, Better Value Partnership?

Coventry and Warwickshire’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (sometimes called an STP) involves local NHS organisations and councils working together to improve health and care in the areas they serve with a focus on supporting people to be healthier, provide high-quality care and make services more sustainable. There is a particular priority around Mental Health including Dementia.

How to take part:

You can put forward your views by:

  1. Completing the survey on-line using the link below.
  2. Requesting a paper survey using the contact details provided.

We will also be attending some face to face events such as dementia cafes and dementia day opportunities services to hear the views of people that use these services.

The closing date for all responses is Friday 22nd March 2019.

If you would like to find out more about the outcomes of this engagement, and the future developments of Warwickshire’s Dementia Strategy and services for people with dementia, please contact dementiapartnership@warwickshire.gov.uk . 

What happens next

This survey has now closed. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. We are currently looking at feedback and will update this website once this has been considered.

Areas

  • All Areas

Audiences

  • Anyone from any background
  • Service users (current or previous)
  • Black and minority ethnic people
  • Lesbian, gay, bisexual people, Transgender people (LGBT)
  • Carers
  • Adults
  • People with disabilities
  • People with long term conditions
  • Volunteers
  • Community Groups
  • Voluntary and third sector organisations
  • Partners
  • Providers
  • Faith groups
  • Specialist staff
  • Commissioners
  • Professionals and professional bodies
  • Housing associations
  • Elected members

Interests

  • Social care
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Disabilities
  • Policies, plans and strategies
  • Adults and older people
  • Strategic commissioning
  • Social care and support
  • All age disabilities
  • Older people's commissioning
  • Public health