GPs and GP practice staff have an important role in facilitating timely diagnosis and supporting people with dementia and their families.
To enable health centres in the Western Trust area to adopt dementia friendly practice and to help ensure people with dementia have a positive experience of primary care, The Western Trust is helping GP surgeries to become dementia friendly. Riverside Practice in Strabane is the first in this area to participate in the project.
A dementia champion from the practice has been appointed.
Training for GPs took place in March. This was facilitated by clinicians from the Western Trust memory service. Further training is being delivered in June.
This training has been opened up to GP’s in other local practices.
Clerical staff in the practice attended a dementia awareness workshop. Further awareness training has been organised for treatment room staff and district nurses.
A dementia design audit was carried out on the surgery.
Recommendations on where improvements are needed in order to make the health centre more dementia friendly are being taken forward as part of the refurbishment of Strabane Health Centre this year.
Geraldine Brown Assistant Director, Secondary Care, Western Trust said “There are approximately 20,000 individuals living with dementia in Northern Ireland, and with this figure set to increase to 60,000 by the year 2051, it is very important that dementia care is prioritised in all settings including primary care.
“Feedback from patients with dementia and their carers attending the Western Trusts memory service reported ‘a lack of understanding about dementia in primary care which affects the diagnosis process and the ongoing support All of us want to be treated compassionately and with respect.
“Patients who have dementia want exactly the same. Achieving this in a GP surgery is not complicated.
“It simply requires a team that can understand dementia and champion a culture of compassionate care- supported by a few organisational and environmental adjustments.
“The Western trust is delighted that Riverside practice has volunteered to become a dementia friendly surgery. We hope this is the first of many surgeries across the Western Trust area to become dementia friendly”
Dr Ciaran Mullan, GP in Riverside practice Strabane said:
“The interests of our patients are our top priority and if we can even do a little bit to help people with dementia and their families or make them feel more comfortable when they visit us then our time and efforts will have been well spent.”
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