Chloe Smith MP asks Norwich people to share their experiences of dementia care

It’s an important week for the future of dementia care with a meeting of world leaders in London as part of the G8 Summit, which aims to develop a global response to prevent and treat dementia as well as improve the quality of care for people with the condition.

 

Member of Parliament for Norwich North, Chloe Smith, is asking her constituents to share their personal experience of care for people living with the condition, to help inform a ground-breaking national programme of inspections which is being led by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

 

The CQC is planning to undertake 150 inspections of care homes and acute hospitals across England until the spring of 2014. The findings will be used to paint a picture of how people with dementia are cared for with a view to improving the quality of care for people with the condition.

 

Chloe is urging people with dementia, their relatives, friends and carers, to share their experiences with the CQC in the following ways:

• by email at dementiafeedback@cqc.org.uk;


• by telephone on 03000 61 61 61; or


• online via a webform, available here

The CQC is also working with local groups to gather people’s experiences including: Age UK, Dementia Action Alliance, Regional Voices, Dementia Advocacy Network and the Race Equality Foundation.

The review will examine how people living with dementia are supported to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing, how care homes and hospitals can work together when there is a need for people with dementia to move between services and how effective care can reduce admissions to hospital from care homes and avoid unnecessarily lengthy stays.

 

Chloe commented:

“I know that the suffering caused by dementia is not just for those with the condition but also for their friends, families and carers who love and support them. I want people to able be able to live independently at home for as long as possible but, when it becomes necessary for them to go into a care home or hospital, it is so important that their loved ones know they are well looked after.

 

“This is an important opportunity for people touched by dementia to share their experiences of care homes and hospitals so we can see what works well and what needs to improve.”