| Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your browser |
 | Dementia Carer Voices Newsletter November/December 2016 |
|
Welcome to the latest edition of Dementia Carer Voices' newsletter
, where you can stay up to date with what the team has been up to over the last two months
and find out about current opportunities and events where you can have your say.
Launch of Pollok Community Pledge
In partnership with Glasgow Clyde College and Humza Yousaf MSP, Minister for Transport and Islands,
Dementia Carer Voices launched a community pledge in Pollok,
giving constituents the chance to reach out to their neighbours and help reduce isolation and loneliness.
Project Engagement Lead Tommy Whitelaw is a life-long constituent of Pollok,
where he was born and later returned to care for his late mum Joan.
From the success of our You Can Make a Difference campaign,
the team wanted to extend the invitation to the community to make a pledge to the whole community of Pollok, not just to people living with dementia and their carers,
but to their neighbours and wider community.
Chaired by Director Irene Oldfather, the event celebrated pledges
made by students at the Glasgow Clyde College,
introduced participants to their local link worker, and the community assets currently mapped on ALISS. Read more about the day here.
The team were also asked to talk about the community pledge on the John Beattie show on Radio Scotland.
Journal gives platform to carers of people with dementia
This month a joint article has been published between the ALLIANCE
and the University of Glasgow, based on the letters
Project Engagement Lead Tommy Whitelaw collected
from carers across Scotland.
These letters have been analysed by Jane Joy and Diane Willis
from Glasgow University,
with the results of their study now available:
Speaking about the recent publication, ALLIANCE Director Irene Oldfather
said ‘Advancing the rights of people with dementia, and their carers
who sometimes face extraordinary challenges and barriers in communicating
their needs and wishes,
is a just cause. By harnessing the power of carers’ lived experiences,
the You Can Make a Difference campaign speaks to the hearts of people
and communities across Scotland,
with the simple message that dementia is everyone’s business
and that you have the power to transform
the experiences of people affected by the condition.”
Honorary Master for health, social care, and policy influence
Our Project Engagement Lead, Tommy Whitelaw was awarded an Honorary Degree, Master of the University for Health, Social Care, Education and Policy making influence
Speaking about the award, Tommy said 'I am so very honoured and grateful to the Open University for the great honour to have been awarded an Honorary Degree for my work across the UK on dementia and caring. With great thanks to Peter Horrocks CBE (Vice chancellor), Joyce Cavaye and all at the Open University.'
Read more about the ceremony here.
Four Thought
Project Engagement Lead Tommy Whitelaw was invited to take part in a live broadcast for BBC Radio 4: Four Thought programme.
"If we really are going to make a difference to each other we have to change the conversation from 'what's the matter with you' to 'what matters to you'".
Project Engagement Lead Tommy Whitelaw
The programme was recorded in front of a live audience at Somerset House, presented by Mike Williams and produced by Sheila Cook. Listen to a repeat of the programme here.
Alzheimer’s Outlook 2016 Prospective Focus Group December 2016
The Fondation Médéric Alzheimer initiated in 2007 a strategic reflection on how the future context of dementia may unfold in the next decades, in collaboration with international experts. This challenging endeavour implies engaging with uncertainty within limits of scientific plausibility. This prospective reflection is called the Alzheimer’s Outlook.
Project Engagement Lead Tommy Whitelaw will travel to Paris to lead one of the seminars entitled: The perspective of individuals and families facing chronic diseases – practical issues (work, finances, cultural attitudes). Read more about the Alzheimer's Outlook 2016 Prospective focus group here.
New Year Resolution for ALISS
On the 06 January 2017 the ALISS service is introducing some exciting new changes. From this date, account holders will notice a difference as to how you access the ALISS service and the majority of features will be moved to the new website. This means that the current website will no longer support features such as signing up for a new account, logging in to a current account, adding a new resource, or changing an existing resource. These features will all be available on the new beta website. Read more about the changes in this blog post.
 |
|
New Carer Positive Resource
Carer Positive has produced some new resources designed to help employers develop a package of support best suited to carers who are still in work. The resource discusses suggestions and examples on the types of measures employers can take to provide a supportive working environment for carers in their workforce. For more information please click here.
Opportunities to have you say
- Did you know that unpaid and family carers of someone with dementia can access free membership at both the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) and Alzheimer Scotland? Find out more different ways to have your voice heard.
- The ALLIANCE's policy team has drafted a response to the National Health and Care Standards which is available to for download here. If you have any comments on our response and would like us to add or amend anything please get in contact with Andrew Strong, who is also available to chat through any comments on the phone: 0141 404 0231.
- Healthcare Improvement Scotland published the clinical standards for neurological health services in 2009. A review of these standards will include further scoping work with the clinical community and stakeholders to develop recommendations for the future of the clinical standards for neurological health services. To facilitate this work, a short life working group will be chaired by Healthcare Improvement Scotland with representation from clinicians, the third sector and patients/carers. Healthcare Improvement Scotland are seeking nominations for two patient or carer representatives. Two meetings will be held at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2NP on Wednesday 25th January 2017 and Thursday 30th March 2017 1-4pm.
If you would like to participate in the review of the neurological standards as a patient or carer representative please get in touch with gillian.fergusson@alliance-scotland.org.uk
- The next meeting of the Neurological Programme Involvement Network will be 15th December at the ALLIANCE offices, 349 Bath Street. The meeting will be held from 10am to 3pm with lunch included. Email gillian.fergusson@alliance-scotland.org.uk to confirm your place
And Finally..
From the whole team, we would like to wish you a very merry Christmas
and a happy new year! 2016 has been an incredible year,
with over 11,000 pledges collected as part of our You Can Make a Difference tour.
You can read every single pledge here, and find out how
hospitals, care homes, universities, and colleges are pledging to make a difference
in our pledge case studies.
Find out more about Dementia Carer Voices
on our website, twitter, by e-mail or by phone on 0141 404 0233
|
|
Hi With great thanks to Leanne Siekiera Student Nurse and Alison Haynes Lead nurse Dementia Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust For ...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for leaving a comment at the tommyontour blog. Your comment will be moderated and published very soon.