An award-winning centre of excellence – aimed at improving the lives of people with dementia – has been shortlisted for another award.
The Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling is one of the finalists at the Patient Safety and Care Awards 2014. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 15 July.
The Centre is vying for success in the Dementia Care category for its Best Practice Learning Programme. This is a nationally recognised programme, training staff working in dementia care.
The Centre’s Director, Professor June Andrews, said: “It’s great to be shortlisted for this award. This recognises the important work we do at the dementia centre, helping train professionals to better support people with dementia. It’s also great recognition of the outstanding team we have at the centre.”
The Best Practice Learning Programme provides training for frontline care staff working in the public, private and third sectors. It trains a member of staff, who in turn, delivers training in his/her own workplace.
The course covers issues such as delivering “person-centred care” and improving communication and behaviour. It also aims to improve the support on offer for families and carers of people with dementia and to raise awareness of legal and other issues.
Said Professor Andrews: “Evaluation shows the programme is significantly improving standards of care that people with dementia and their families receive.
“When it was introduced in 2008, this evidence-based learning programme was aimed at unqualified staff working with people with dementia in acute hospitals, care homes, day care and domiciliary settings. Because of demand, it is now being piloted for nursing staff working in A&E departments.
“The programme is the idea of Shirley Law – our Director of Learning and Development – who was originally a charge nurse in Perthshire. It is continually updated to reflect improvements in understanding of dementia and how to provide the best care and promote dignity and person-centred principles.”
The Patient Safety and Care Awards has been organised by HSJ (Health Service Journal) and the Nursing Times. The awards recognise the best patient safety initiatives, sharing essential skills and knowledge across the health service.
Organisers say competition this year was fierce with more than 600 entries submitted.
The Dementia Services Development Centre is based in the Iris Murdoch Building at the University. For more than 25 years it has worked with individuals and organisations to improve the design of care environments and make communities more dementia friendly – in turn improving services for people with dementia.
It also works to influence national policy on dementia.
It has garnered a range of honours in recent years - including awards from the Nursing Standard and Nursing Times.