Older people (including dementia)

The organisation offers innovative solutions and service models for older people, including those with dementia.

Around Scotland, we now support more than 150 people over the age of 65 who might otherwise have faced the prospect of hospital or nursing home care. In our four older people’s support services in Glasgow, we provide 24-hour support to more than 60 older people in their own homes. Our support services act as a source of peer support and good practice guidance.

We have pioneered ways of using I.T. to help supported individuals to contribute to their own support plans. Staff use laptops to create support plans in conjunction with the people they support. The immediacy of seeing discussion converted into changes on screen works well with people with dementia.

It is also our policy to involve the individuals we support in the selection of the staff in their service. Services for older people are no exception to this rule. We work with the people we support to choose interview questions and selection criteria which reflected the issues most important to them. We also provide training to help them to get involved in the actual selection process.

Integrated day services for people with dementia

In 2011, we were successful in the award of integrated day services for people with dementia in East Renfrewshire. The service provides person-centred day services to adults with a diagnosis of dementia.

The integrated approach model focuses on high quality personal planning together with care and support arrangements tailored to the person’s ability and resources. 

Specifically, the service offers a person-centred planning service for individuals and carers to help them plan a life with dementia. This includes:

• advance directive planning; anticipatory care planning and advice and information on accessing help with personal finances and self directed support arrangements.
• post diagnostic support to carers and individuals diagnosed with dementia, including accessing mental health services to cope with the diagnosis.
• a flexible day opportunities service, focused on mainstream services and activities that build upon people’s hobbies, interests and preferences.
• carer support, to help people plan for the future, access carer’s support through ER carers service.
• a high quality day care service with clearly programmed activities that focus on the person’s strengths and abilities.