Staff praised in Norfolk report on dementia

In a report from Norfolk Public Health on the needs of dementia patients in the county, focus groups have described their “high satisfaction with the quality of service received” from the Trust.

The report was published on Tuesday (15^th July) and reviewed the prevalence of dementia, health issues for patients in the area and recommended actions to improve care and support for people with dementia and their carers.

An estimated 16,400 people in Norfolk have dementia (either diagnosed or undiagnosed), which is equivalent to one in every 53 people in Norfolk or the populations of Cromer, Hunstanton and Holt combined.

The report states:

“Those that had called an ambulance spoke highly of the paramedics and the reassurance they had offered to both the person with dementia and the carer (and other family members now present at the scene). A very small number of carers living in rural areas spoke about First Responders arriving at the home of the person with dementia prior to the ambulance crew arriving. This support was received very well and provided some comfort and reassurance whilst waiting for a paramedic to arrive.”

The report discussed the challenges for the service and noted that staff do not currently have a simple process for making a referral to a GP if they suspect undiagnosed dementia.

To read the full report, please visit the Norfolk Insight website.

Published 20th July 2014