What is the challenge your project is going to address and how does it connect to the theme of 'How can we improve across system boundaries?​

1 in 2 people will be affected by dementia in their lifetime.

The SHSCT are expected to have the highest increase in people living with dementia by 2032 in Northern Ireland. The hospital environment can be a challenging experience for anyone especially those living with dementia.

Having an adequately skilled and trained workforce to ensure that dynamic person centered care is delivered is essential. Collaborating across system boundaries in acute and community areas we will understand the patient’s journey and target this training to where it is most needed.

For the person:

·         A highly skilled staff member can markedly enhance their experience in hospital.

For the carer:

·         Knowing their loved one is cared for by empathic staff skilled dementia care can reduced anxiety.

For the staff:

·         Staff morale will be increased as they have a greater understanding of how to respond and care for people living with dementia.

What does your project aim to achieve?

This project aims to improve staff’s empathy towards people living with dementia. Having staff with the knowledge and skills to deliver good dementia care is a priority within the health service.

In Northern Ireland our staff work within an Integrated Care model of multi-professional teams, the Dementia Education Programme is multimodal which will enable us to deliver targeted evidence-based training to our multidisciplinary teams.

Within 12 months through the provision of training we aim to increase staff

– Knowledge

– Skills

– Empathy

– Capability

and to improve the experience of people living with dementia in our hospitals.

Objectives:

– Equip staff with knowledge and skills to support people living with dementia

– Increase staff’s empathy towards people living with dementia

– Reduce health inequalities by supporting an often-marginalised group.

How will the project be delivered?

This project will build upon existing quality improvement projects already underway across dementia care.

We already have well-established networks with service users and carers living with dementia.

The project group will include representation from Ulster University and utilise evidence based multi-modal training methodologies to educate staff on best practice in dementia care.

Representation of people living with dementia on the project will ensure that the needs of those with Dementia remain central to the journey.

The NHS 5 Step Model for improvement will be used throughout this project.

Measures

Outcome:

·         Pre and post training empathy measures will be taken at the time of initial training and follow up to assess ongoing impact.

·         Assessment of knowledge pre and post training.

Process:

·         Number of staff trained.

·         Staff feedback via focus groups.

Balancing:

·         Time spent on training.

How is your project going to share learning?

Internally:

·         Share through our Trust Communication Department to share developments with staff and service users.

·         Promotion of the project through our local SHSCT QI events and networks.

Externally:

·         The project journey, including lessons and achievements, will be shared through the Q community. We will support this through the use of podcasts, blogs, and social media.

·         Promote the project through Regional HSCQI events.

·         Share at the Dementia Service Improvement Lead forum.

·         Present at the all-Ireland Dementia Service Improvement forum.

·         Present at the Dementia Research Network Ireland.

Local and Regional Professional and Community Networks are already in place.

Our team is already engaged with the Public Health Agency & the Strategic Planning and Performance Group in co-producing dementia training.

This project will build upon existing achievements in the field in order to deliver high quality multi-model dementia training where it is needed most.