Meeting the needs of those with dementia

The care teams at four South-east London care homes have achieved accreditation to provide a pioneering new approach to caring for people living with dementia.

They are Norwood Green in Tentelow Lane, Marlborough Court in Copperfield road, Lansdowne in Claremount Road, and Charlton Park Care Home on Cemetery Lane.

The new approach, called the Dementia Care Framework, uses advanced technology to help monitor people with dementia so that care can be adjusted to their changing needs.

All staff in the homes undergo specialist dementia care training including undergoing a simulated experience of what it is like to live with the condition, to increase understanding and empathy
Norwood Green, Marlborough Court, Lansdowne, Charlton Park Care Homes are part of Four Seasons Health Care, which spent two years developing and testing the new approach.

The care teams use an exclusive information technology-based care audit system to help them to create and continuously update a comprehensive picture of each resident’s physical, psychological and emotional condition and their day to day experience, so that their care and support needs can be met.

Its purpose designed software programme is thought to be the first of its type worldwide. It is based on 320 recognised standards, including NICE Guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and Alzheimer’s Society best practice guidance.

It is updated electronically by care staff and replaces paper-based audits that are slow and time consuming and almost always behind the changing care needs of the person.