Compass House Medical Centres – Dementia Friendly Practice

Posted on June 21st, 2024

At Compass House Medical Centres, we recognise that Dementia patients often face unique challenges such as memory loss, confusion, and difficulty communicating their needs which can have an impact on how they access care services such as ourselves.

Over the years we have undertaken work to become a Dementia Friendly Practice and support our 180 patients (as of June 2024) currently living with Dementia, making sure they receive the best possible care and support.

Our efforts to do this include a variety of initiatives designed to cater to the specific needs of Dementia patients and their caregivers this includes:

• Dementia Friendly Signage: We use clear, easy-to-understand signage with yellow back pictorial aids to help patients navigate the practice more comfortably.
• Pre-Appointment Calls: Our staff call dementia patients before their appointments to remind them and check if they need any assistance, ensuring they are supported by carers or family members if necessary.
• Trained Staff: All our staff, from Care Coordinators to healthcare professionals, undergo Dementia friendly training to understand dementia and provide compassionate, respectful care.
• Personalised Care Plans: We develop and regularly update personalised care plans for each dementia patient, involving them and their families in the process to ensure their needs and preferences are met.
• Double appointments: Where needed we offer double appointments to give patients with Dementia more time.
• PPG inclusiveness: In our PPG group we welcome members who are either diagnosed with, or caring for people with Dementia. We are grateful to currently have a patient with Dementia and their carer who give up their time to attend our PPG meetings, which enables us to listen to their feedback about how we can best support them when interacting with our services or considering changes so we are mindful of their needs.
• Carer support: We ensure patients diagnosed with Dementia have carers details updated on their records. Alongside this we also provide the details of our Carer support worker so we ensure the whole household is supported if they need it.

By implementing these measures, we aim to create a supportive and understanding environment for our patients with dementia, enhancing their quality of life and providing peace of mind for their families and caregivers.