AgeUK Isle of Wight’s Dementia Care Navigators service leading the UK

AgeUK IW’s Hospital & Dementia Care Navigator Team Leader, Kim Williams, was invited to speak at the Government’s national Dementia Care Conference on Tuesday 25^th April. The conference brought together groups from across the UK who are leading the way in how to improve the provision of dementia care across the UK.

As leaders in developing and spearheading the initiative to provide joined-up care to manage and support people living with dementia, AgeUK IW was asked to showcase how they have developed their service to act as a point of access to community-based support, enabling people to get the help they need while waiting for their dementia assessment.

The Dementia Care Navigators service (DCN) was launched by, and is funded through, the NHS, and is delivered in partnership with AgeUK IW and the Isle of Wight Council’s Adult Social Care service.

The DCN service comprises a team of three Dementia Navigators who are based in the community, and a Memory Service Navigator, based in St Mary’s Hospital. The team is part of the pathway redesign work that strives to increase capacity for dementia assessments and broaden the multidisciplinary team. Together they act as a point of contact for people who are living with the effects of dementia or are awaiting a dementia assessment. They, their families and carers, can access expert advice, bespoke resources and referrals to both NHS and partner services. This collaborative and person-centred approach has been key to its success.

DCN Team Leader, Kim Williams said: ‘Being given the opportunity to share our DCN service best practice on the Government’s national Dementia Care Conference platform has not only allowed us to deliver guidance to other service providers but also enabled us as a team to gain insights on other local initiatives that will help us to continue to improve our own practices.’

As part of AgeUK IW’s service, the team visits people in their own homes and provides support to clients who are awaiting a diagnosis or starting to struggle with their memory. For many this makes the service more accessible and enables people to access support as early as possible, helping to enhance their quality of life.

According to NHS England, it is estimated that in the UK over 850,000 people are living with dementia and around 540,000 act as primary caregivers for people with dementia. Initiatives such as AgeUK IW’s Dementia Care Navigators service, which is just one of the many important services provided by AgeUK IW, are vital to build on the ongoing positive work to improve the quality of life of those living with dementia.

For more information contact:

Email: dementiacarenavigators@ageukiw.org.uk

Tel: 01983 525282