Our partnership with Age UK Lambeth continues to flourish, despite the impact of the pandemic. Here is a photo from January 2022 of attendees at our Magnolia Club in Gipsy Hill, reveling in a wonderfully creative embroidery session. 

This was hugely enjoyed by all, and we are so pleased that the group continues to expand.

We are so very grateful to Age UK Lambeth for their work in helping us to reach people with dementia and their unpaid carers in their local communities in the two drop-in groups that Hope for Home funds in the Borough.

How we die is a legacy to those we leave behind, so how can we make that legacy a positive one?

Main learning point:

The COVID pandemic has brutally exposed and exacerbated the social isolation which people living with dementia and their families experience. It has highlighted the importance of supporting and enhancing the web of relationships which exist around that family, as well as the benefits of facilitating good planning for end-of-life care.

11.00 – 11.15 Morning Break

11.15 – 12.15 Morning Workshop Sessions (Participants choose one Workshop A, B or C)

Workshop A:

Working with People with Dementia to Develop Anticipatory (End of Life) Care Plans

Workshop Lead: Jim Melville, Manager, Campbell Snowdon House, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Workshop outline:

Anticipatory care planning is about choice and self-determination establishing a resident’s views and wishes about their journey ahead in the future. For someone living with Dementia how do we help plan their journey.

Main learning point:

· Anticipatory Care Plan - When / Where / Why

· Involvement of my plan

· The benefits of good ACP

· Good life before good death

Workshop B:

Namaste Care: Honouring the Spirit Within

Workshop Lead: Joanne Morton, Namaste Lead, St Joseph’s Hospice, Hackney, London
Workshop outline:

· Brief Introduction (what it is, background, model)

· How Namaste care makes a difference

· Case Study - discussion with volunteers

· Carer Input

· Q & A session (15-20 mins)

Main learning point:

To enable carers to use Namaste approach to improve quality of care at the end stage of life.

11.15 – 12.15 Morning Workshop Sessions continued (Participants choose one Workshop A, B or C)

Workshop C:

A Question of Meaning - Playlist for Life

Workshop Lead: Andy Lowndes, Vice Chair and ‘The Music Detective’, Playlist for Life

Workshop outline:

In this presentation, Andy will describe the benefits personalised music can have on health and wellbeing and describe the effect music has on the brain.

Main learning point:

Andy will demonstrate how to build a playlist utilising the Playlist for Life approach.

12.15 – 13.00 Plenary session: Feedback from Workshop leaders - A, B, C

13.00 – 13.45 Break for Lunch

13.45 – 14.30 Plenary session

“Starting a Namaste Care Project during a Pandemic… a story of lessons learned and of unexpected benefits”

Sally Muylders, Community Engagement Manager, St Clare Hospice, Essex

Main learning point:

Unexpected outcomes over time, the power of momentum and resulting, surprising, improved sustainability.

14.30 – 15.30 Afternoon Workshop Sessions (Participants choose one Workshop D, E or F)

Workshop D:

Supporting from Diagnosis to End of Life - improving outcomes for carers of people living with Dementia at home

Workshop Lead: Gina Gardner, Dementia Support Worker, St Giles Hospice (Thelma Harvey Prize winner) and Pat Roberts, Lead for Dementia Support, GreenSquareAccord Housing Partnership, Staffordshire

Workshop outline:

Describing how The Unpaid Dementia Carer at home course came about, how it developed through COVID, and the issues that arose, including the different types of Dementia, the importance of Nutrition and Hydration, and planning for the future with Advance Care Planning.

Main learning point:

The informal carers course aims to equip people with added knowledge and the confidence to support their loved ones from diagnosis to end of life by covering a range of topics including how carers can look after themselves, how to deal with challenging behaviours and support around having Advance Care Planning discussions.

14.30 – 15.30 Afternoon Workshop Sessions continued (Participants choose one Workshop D, E or F)

Workshop E:

Who Cares for the Carers

Workshop Lead: Graham Gardiner, CEO, Age UK Lambeth, London

Workshop outline:

Graham will be looking at not only what support carers can access, but also exploring how carers can look after themselves whilst being responsible for looking after someone else. This can be guilt inducing, fraught and frustrating. Is there another way of looking at this? Let's spend some time thinking about strategies that work and of course finding resources to help.

Main learning point:

At the end of this session, we hope carers will feel more optimistic about looking after themselves and getting the help that they need. We hope that service providers help find ways to plug the gaps.

Workshop F:

Carer Resilience

Workshop Lead: Sarah Russell, Lead Nurse for Palliative and End of Life Care, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Workshop outline:

We will explore the evidence and experience of the duality of caring/carer resilience and what this means for health and social care practitioners and us as individuals.

Main learning point:

At the end of the workshop, participants will take away one action point for their practice and experience.

15.30 – 15.45 Plenary session: Feedback from Workshop leaders – D, E, F

15.45 – 16.00 Closing remarks: Harriet Gross, Chair, Hope for Home

For further Conference details please visit: https://ardgowanhospice.org.uk/hfh21/

Zoom link for Conference will be emailed to participants on Friday 19 November 2021.

This event may be recorded.