LOOPs: North West Tuesday, 31st March 2015 – 2pmBoardroom, LifeCare, Cheyne StreetMinute of Meeting:

PRESENT: Maggie Scrugham (City of Edinburgh Council), Naomi Potts (LifeCare), Heather Yang (Volunteer Centre Edinburgh), Lorna Russell (QCCC), Vicki Bradley (LifeCare), Ann Robertson (Primecare), Andrea Sharpe (Murrayfield Dementia Project), Sue Kirkbride (Murrayfield Dementia Project), Victor Chlebowski (Murrayfield Dementia Project), Tricia Donald (Cramond Surgery, NHS Lothian), Kate Joester (Alzheimer Scotland), Wendy Armstrong (Community Connecting, Places for People), Clare Addicott (Community Connecting, Places for People), Theodora Hidalgo (Pilton Equalities Project), Russell Boyle (Social Work, Western General Hospital), Sasha Noel (Occupational Therapist, Reablement), Joanna Senew (Home Instead), Cath Cassidy (City of Edinburgh Council), Stefan Milenkovic (EVOC), Katie Keith (LifeCare)

Introductions: Introductions were noted with an explanations of current and upcoming activities. Kate Joester and Cath Cassidy attended to deliver presentations on their work with/on behalf of people living with dementia with Tricia Donald attending to share information about the surgery’s experience of working with people living with dementia from a Primary Care perspective.

Maggie Scrugham and Tricia Donald discussed some of their work including the 17c GP work around improving diagnosis rates within the sector as well as strengthening the holistic approach to supporting people living with dementia through the ‘8 Pillars Model’ trial which has been ongoing in the sector for approx. 1 year. For further information about this work please contact Maggie or Tricia (Maggie.scrugham@edinburgh.gov.uk) or (Patricia.Donald@lothian.scot.nhs.uk )

Volunteer Centre Edinburgh – Heather Yang – NW LOOPs Project: Heather provided an update on the work that is going on within the North West quadrant under the banner of the North West LOOPs project.

This work includes a telephone line which is available from 10am – 2pm daily (except weekends) which provides information to older people, carers, families and friends as well as to professionals working with same. The work is developing well, with strong support from volunteers. To contact the telephone line please call 0131 603 8311

With the telephone now established, Heather has turned her attention to the second element of the work in the North West quadrant which is to recruit a team of volunteers within the North West to deliver leaflets and on the doorstep signposting to local older people. This work is progressing but the recruitment of volunteer Community Champions is taking time. if you know anybody locally that would be interested in working with the project in the North West and who could join in this crucial outreach project then please contact Heather:

Heather Yang, heather.yang@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk or 0131 603 5144

For further information about the LOOPs projects in all quadrants please visit http://www.loopsprojects.org.uk/

Alzheimer Scotland – Kate Joester – Dementia Link Worker Project. Kate delivered a presentation about the current work of the Dementia Link Worker Project which is being delivered by Alzheimer Scotland in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council. The project is based upon the 5 Pillars of Post-Diagnostic Support framework which aims to ensure that people, in their first year subsequent to a dementia diagnosis, are connected with or more informed about:

Planning for the future: support to set up power of attorney and other legal issues Understanding the Illness and managing symptoms: support to come to terms with the condition and learn about self-management of the condition Planning for future care: support, when people are ready, to plan the shape of future care from their own perspective together with those around them, developing a personal plan with their choices, hopes and aspirations which can guide professionalsPeer support: from other people with dementia and their families and carers to help to come to terms with the illness and maintain wellbeing and resilience Supporting community connections: support to maintain and develop social networks.

Slides attached with referral form and guidance. If you would like to get in touch with Kate her contact details are: Kate.joester@edinburgh.gov.uk

City of Edinburgh Council – Cath Cassidy – Dementia Stigma Campaign:The City of Edinburgh Council’s Health and Social Care Comms Team has taken a key role in the development and delivery two campaigns focused around the challenges experienced by people living with dementia as well as work carried out to support the development of local dementia friendly communities. This work has heavily involved people living with

dementia and their carers in both the development and steering of this work.

Dementia Awareness Campaign The Dementia Awareness campaign has focussed on raising awareness of the symptoms and effects of dementia with an aim of improving both awareness but also early diagnosis.

Dementia Stigma Campaign: Current work within this initiative includes the new Dementia Stigma Campaign which focuses on raising community awareness of the conditions and of endeavouring to make communities more supportive of people living with the condition. The campaign includes 6 top tips for removing barriers and supporting opportunities through the removal of stigma.

Those 6 top tips are (in short – please see attached leaflet for further info): 1. Learn the facts: find out about dementia and how it affects people who have it. 2. Help me join in: don’t write someone off because they have dementia.3. Use kind words: people often joke about dementia – they forget that it is a fatal condition. 4. Talk to me: Not knowing what to say to someone with dementia can stop people talking to them many people say

that they become invisible as soon as they tell others they have dementia. 5. Be patient: There are little things that everyone can do to help someone with dementia. 6. Be a friend: Keep in touch, social contact can help slow down the progress of dementia.

In addition to this work, the Comms Team have been working with businesses to support dementia friendly businesses and communities. One of the most developed pieces of work is at Sainsbury in Cameron Toll where small but highly effective changes are being implemented such as:

Slower checkout lanes: to ensure that people with dementia, and perhaps other people who might not want to hurry, are able to do their shopping without being hurried.

Placement of seating around the store and supportive staff who can assist customers facing challenges.

There is additional information about this work available of the City of Edinburgh Website at: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20076/adults_and_older_people/1236/dementia_friendly_edinburgh

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20076/adults_and_older_people/91/dementia_and_alzheimers

Or please contact: Rachel Howe – Rachel.howe@edinburgh.gov.uk 0131 529 6552 or Cath Cassidy cath.cassidy@edinburgh.gov.uk 0131 529 4435

Dementia Friendly Communities: Wendy Armstrong from Places for People/Community Connecting provided some information about the Dementia Friendly Community work going on within the City – of note she is working with the Portobello group. Within the North West of the city, there are two current Dementia Friendly Initiatives: in Cramond the project has been developing for some time but a new project has just begun in Pilton.

For further information, in the first instance, please contact Cath Cassidy (details above.)

Next Meeting:The next meeting for the North West LOOP network will take place:

ON: Wed, 3rd June 2015 – 2:00 – 4:00AT: QCCC, The Haven, 25B Burgess Road, South Queensferry, EH30 9JA

For that meeting we have a number of speakers discussing mapping, transportation, streets and resilience:

Isabel Cayon: City of Edinburgh Council, GIS Mapping Jacqui Pentland: Queen Margaret University, Making it CLEAR Frank Henderson/Andrena Mathieson: City of Edinburgh Council, Community and Accessible Transport Review Penny Morriss: Living Streets.

Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council is a company limited by guarantee No. 173382 and is a registered Scottish charity No. 009944. Registered Office: 14 Ashley Place, Edinburgh, EH6 5PX