"Living with dementia is life-changing, but it doesn't have to be life-defining" – Council hosts Citywide Dementia Strategy launch event

200 people attended the city’s Citywide Dementia Strategy launch event.

The collaborative event included people across the city living with dementia, unpaid carers, Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations, care organisations, day activities organisations, public health, adult health and social care and health colleagues, including NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Commissioning Board.

The citywide dementia plan was approved at the Council’s Adult Health and Social Care Committee in October and its main message is that ‘Sheffield will become a dementia friendly city’.

Nine commitments make up the plan and at the event the speakers explored each one, asking for audience questions and discussing the next practical steps to make the right things happen and to do this in collaboration.

These are:

• Sheffield will become a Dementia friendly city
• More will be done to prevent, reduce, and delay, the risk of developing dementia
• Improved access to dementia diagnosis at the earliest possible stage for the people of Sheffield
• Support will be personalised, local and accessible, to help people with dementia to remain independent for as long as possible
• High quality support to families and carers of people living with dementia in Sheffield will be provided
• People living with dementia and their carers will receive care and support that recognises and works with them as individuals
• Families and staff will be supported to plan ahead to reduce the likelihood of dementia related crisis
• Improved care for people with dementia attending hospital
• Personalised, good quality palliative and end of life care when needed

The event raised awareness of the nine commitments, emphasising the quality and range of the support, advice and guidance that is available across the city now and what working together will bring. Sheffield will become more dementia friendly and training staff in a wide range of organisations will be an important part of this. Accessibility to services will get better and better, which will include the connecting of services together.

Councillor Angela Argenzio and Steven Thomas from South Yorkshire Integrated Commissioning Board speak about the Dementia Strategy's journey so far:

The emphasis from a public health point of view was that for many dementia isn’t inevitable; more people are living longer, and more people are getting dementia. There are several ways to decrease the chance of getting dementia – what’s good for your heart is good for your brain. Public health stressed the importance of that what happens to a person in their early years, from 0-19, has a huge impact on their life. The need for lobbying to ensure that funding for ‘lifestyle’ services is adequate was emphasised.

Dementia facts

• There are over 6,000 and up to around 7,300 people aged over 65 currently living with dementia in Sheffield - between 6.7% and 7.7% of the 94,840 people aged 65 years and over in the city.
• Approximately 140 people under 65 in Sheffield live with young onset dementia. 

Dementia support and awareness in Sheffield has increased over the last 5 years, however, the growing impact of an ageing population on dementia prevalence means the number of people living with dementia is predicted to keep increasing.

Support that is ‘personalised, local and accessible’

Early local support through memory cafes will grow, providing support for people that takes them from ‘feeling adrift’ to ‘having a lifeline’.

A key question to each member of the audience was to ask the person sitting next to them: ‘What’s your favourite cake?’

It was an easy question for everyone to ask and answer, with an emotional and hopeful meaning behind it - early, local support. When a person is due to go to their first visit to one of the city's memory cafés, their favourite cake will be there to go with their first cup of tea. That same cake will often be provided the next time they go. The difference this will make is two-fold. One is that they feel cared for, thought about and special. The other is that it’s consistent. One of the key actions that came out of the survey work which informed the strategy was to make sure that Sheffield is consistent in its approach to supporting a person with dementia. It’s the single most important thing that keeps them feeling well and calm.

The importance of personalised care was emphasised, of living as well as you can. This included recognising that when someone has dementia, their presentation, personal care, what smells they like, what tastes they like and what is their choice in music, should all stay in place. They remain who they are as long as possible.

There was much more discussion, including on the role of the Dementia Strategy and Carers Strategy Group, a collaboration with Sheffield Carers Centre and Sheffield College to provide counsellors to support carers, ‘properly listening to the person I care for, taking time and not rushing, explain and explain again without being impatient, making sure they are treated as a real person, with feelings that can be heard.’ Speakers also covered the importance of when inevitable crises happen, that health care professionals are working together in the best ways possible to make sure everyone is clear about who holds the ‘responsibility’ in crisis situations that involve a number of agencies.

The event also included an interactive music session by District Musicians, led by Sophie and Nick, who specialise in creating music for and with individuals living with dementia.

https://www.districtmusicians.org/. The audience played instruments as part of the performance, including Leslie, who played the hand drum and who is a person living with dementia.

Councillor Angela Argenzio, Chair of Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Attending this event today has been inspiring, to see so many people involved in planning for the future and working together towards our vision is to make sure people with dementia are supported by being in the right environment, with the right support around them.

“We know that our success will be because we have adopted a multi-agency approach in supporting people across the city. It’s the working together that will be key. Supporting people with dementia and their families and those who work with dementia effectively will only be possible by having a focus on doing the things that we know have been agreed because of what people living with dementia have told us is important. Working in partnership is key to us all making progress together.”

Many organisations were represented at the event, providing information and signposting. One was Sheffield African Caribbean Mental Health Association’s (SACMHA) ‘Sheffield Memory Hub’ who spoke about how much people with dementia and their carers appreciate their work and who had much to celebrate. They won the ‘Outstanding Provider of Dementia Care in the Community’ award at September's 'National Journal Dementia Care Awards'. 

Final closing remarks were delivered by Steven Thomas, GP and Clinical Lead at NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Commissioning Board. The event showed just how much work is being done to make sure that people with dementia and their carers live their life well and Steven summed this up with: “Dementia is life-changing but shouldn’t be life defining. Working together we are aiming for dignity and hope for people with dementia and their carers and our commitments will deliver. This strategy is a promise to stand alongside you. Let’s thrive because of inclusivity.”

The new citywide Dementia Strategy 2025- 2030 is here and there is a range of resources and information on www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk

More Dementia Advice and contacts

Dementia Advice Sheffield (DAS) – For non-medical questions about dementia. For people with or without a dementia diagnosis and or those who support or care for someone with dementia. DAS can also provide links into local groups and services. Telephone: 0114 250 2875 or email dementiaadvice@ageuksheffield.org.uk (www.ageuk.org.uk/sheffield/our-services/dementia-services/)

Sheffield Directory - www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk/dementia - Local information and advice, groups and services, activities and events, care and support.

Sheffield Carers Centre - www.sheffieldcarers.org.uk or telephone 0114 272 8362.  Free advice, information and support for family/friends who provide (unpaid) care.

(National) Alzheimer’s Society - www.alzheimers.org.uk and Dementia Connect support line: Personalised information, support and advice on telephone 0333 150 3456.