What is John’s Campaign?
John’s Campaign recognises that a person living with dementia has the right to be supported in hospital by their loved-one at whatever time is right for them.
Visiting hours
The Trust upholds this mission through offering unrestricted visiting hours for carers of people living with dementia. It is a priority of the Dementia Care Team to ensure that carers of people living with dementia are supported throughout their loved-one’s admission and that they are signposted to further community support if required. By creating an environment where carers feel listened to and included in their loved-one’s care, we are already lessening their stress and anxiety and better supporting their health and well-being, allowing them to sustain their caring role.
Supporting treatment
Carers are often able to provide vital information about the person – this can help support care and treatment, such as knowledge about their medical history, current medications, or the things that help calm and soothe them. Often the carer is able to assist in supporting practical tasks such as food and fluid intake or helping with personal care. However, part of the Trusts commitment to acknowledging the input of carers is to recognise that they may be exhausted by their caring responsibilities and feel burnt out. We understand that sometimes hospital admissions can provide some much needed respite for a carer and therefore their practical involvement in their loved-one’s care must not be assumed or expected.
Recognition
The Dementia Care Team encourages staff to praise and appreciate the role of carers – we know that this is enormously important in ensuring they feel valued and seen. Evidence shows that by involving the family and/or friends of a person living with dementia, better health outcomes are achieved and inpatient stays are shorter.
Better outcomes
Carers can provide an incalculable amount of emotional support to their loved-one whilst in hospital. They are a vital aid in their care and should be considered as ‘experts by experience’ in their loved-one’s health and well-being. This is true of all patients, but for those living with dementia and experiencing subsequent memory loss, it is all the more pertinent.
People with dementia often find the unfamiliar, busy hospital environment an overwhelming and frightening place to be. A familiar person can feel like a place of safety and provide much needed reassurance, reducing distress and easing confusion.
The Dementia Care Team wish to actively promote John’s Campaign, reinforcing the message that carers have a right, not a duty, to be with the person they care for. We believe that by honouring this we will achieve better outcomes for all.
More information
For more information please speak to the Dementia Care Team or visit:
