Life Changes Trust awards group £5,000 to improve services

A group of people living with dementia in Scotland has been awarded £5,000 from the Life Changes Trust to create a resource to help GPs better support people with the condition.

The Scottish Dementia Alumni is comprised of experienced campaigners who have been diagnosed with dementia and have experience with GP services.

They will use the funding to research the lived experience of people with dementia, and produce a resource that highlights areas for improvement and communicates with GPs what services work well for them.

The group said many GP services are already “incredibly supportive”, but there are many areas which could be improved through better communication and feedback. Services for people with dementia also vary by region and GP practice, with members of the project experiencing different levels of support since their diagnoses.

The group aims to research and present evidence for providing quality standards of support for people living with dementia through their GP practice. The alumni will also produce a booklet and video to help GPs with issues such as general communication, the information around DNAR forms, booking systems for appointments and online video appointments and consultations.

Martin Robertson, the newest member of the group said: “I am glad that the Life Changes Trust grant is showing the continuing importance of the Dementia Alumni and of people with dementia speaking out for themselves.”

Paula Brown, Scottish Dementia Alumni facilitator, added: ‘I am thrilled that Life Changes Trust has offered this grant to the Scottish Dementia Alumni to produce a new peer to peer resource around GP services. People living with dementia can and do undertake their own research and produce important peer to peer publications. The support of Life Changes Trust in this work is empowering.”