Ellen Hudson, associate director at the Royal College of Nursing Scotland says The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland’sYou Can Make A Difference campaign can do just that.

We welcome the Alliance’sYou Can Make a Difference campaign and how it highlights the potential that everyone working in health and social care services has to transform the lives and experiences of people living with dementia and their carers.

The campaign supportsthe Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland, which stress how important is it that people living with dementia and their carers feel listened to, participate in decision-making and have a say in how their support and treatment is provided.

It is important that people living with dementia and their carers have a say in how their support and treatment is provided.

The campaign also complements work that theRoyal College of Nursingand theCarers Trusthas published –The Triangle of Care - Carers Included: A Guide to Best Practice for Dementia Care, which describes what is needed in the relationship between people living with dementia, their carers and health care staff to promote safety, support communication and sustain wellbeing.

It sets out six key standards to help staff collaborate more effectively and work better in partnership with carers.

We are now working with the Carer’s Trust and other partners to publish a Scottish version of The Triangle of Care this summer.

Support and training for staff is vital to achieve the best outcomes for patients. The Alliance’s campaign and the Triangle of Care build on the important work of dementia champions, dementia ambassadors and the Alzheimer Scotland dementia nurse consultants.

It also links to wider work of Equal Partners in Care, a joint project between the Scottish Social Services Council and NHS Education for Scotland to implement the workforce education and learning elements of Caring Together 2010-15, the Carers’ Strategy for Scotland.

Related stories:Healthcare staff can do more for dementia patients