Minutes:
Phoenix Therapies and Training provides over 25 years experience to improving mental wellbeing. They provide a stress relief toolkit to maintain positive outcomes and reduce mental health issues in communities. The aim is to teach people skills on how to be happy and successful and feel positive in situations, offering a working relationship with clients. They focus on helping people who are scared to build bridges between needing medical services and access to them. They also train professionals to improve the help they give to patients. The main aim is to take pressure off GPs and the Cedar Centre, providing early intervention and support.
Copy of the presentation can be found at Appendix 5.
Introductions – Around the Table Discussion
Nic Thandi – Alzheimer’s Society
· The Alzheimer’s Society runs dementia support groups across Leicester City, Leicestershire and Rutland.
· Offers support information programmes and community programmes and provides support and activity groups.
· Provides early onset groups, members of the public need to book onto these groups.
· Set up Dementia Action Alliance which focuses on supporting people with dementia and their carers.
· Main aim is to prioritise links with GPs, work to engage with other communities, being realistic about utilising communities.
Suzanne Lucas – J&S Day Service
· J&S Service offers day services for people with dementia, opening on 15th August in South Wigston.
· Offers support and advice for carers.
· Focuses on the critical end of dementia.
· Taking referrals through Adult Social Care or self funded. Can meet 15-20 people per day.
Helen Loydall – Senior Citizen Advice Group
· Senior Citizen Advice Group provides forums with various speakers regarding dementia, approximately 60 – 70 attend each forum.
· Sends information via mailing list to residents, 900 residents on register.
· Organises the annual Young at Heart day.
Sharon Rose – C.C.G.
· Clinical Commissioning Group is creating work plans with GPs to work on dementia.
· Trying to identify patients with dementia, increasing numbers on register diagnosed with dementia.
· Commissioning services from Leicestershire Partner Trust.
· Offering Better Care Together – can allocate patients to a social worker.
· Looking at ways to offer a practical support with difficult patients.
· Question arises on struggle to contact CCG and a need for information early on without waiting for diagnosis.
Lynn Redfearn – Rethink, Adult Mental Health
· PCT funded – to look after careers dealing with mental health issues, help to signpost them to receive support.
· Provides support, caring and coping groups.
· Trying to prevent admission to hospitals.
· Provide support groups at Cedar Centre.
Jane Morris – Boulter Crescent Project
· ADHD & ASD support, planning to set up groups in community flat.
· Public Health funding Incredible Editable Project – growing vegetables outside Boulter Crescent for tenants.
· Boulter Crescent available as a venue, free of charge.
Avril Lennox – Health & Leisure O.W.B.C
· Commission funding drawn down to provide a range of physical activity projects across the borough, including Sportivate programme aimed at young people experiencing mental health concerns. In addition to health walks for dementia patients and physical activities for children.
· Working on retirement project for over 50s and carers.
Age UK
· Provides short respite breaks for people who are caring for an older person with dementia.
· Age UK provide a day service for people with dementia that operates in Paddock Street, Wigston.
Actively working to ensure that organisation is dementia friendly. This is a combination of training for staff and volunteers, awareness raising –for example, encouraging staff, volunteers and other supported to become Dementia Friends or Dementia Ambassadors, auditing our venues and other infrastructure to ensure e that Age UK are welcoming and accessible to people with dementia and their carers.