Public Health Network Cymru Ebulletin January 2022: Triple Challenge

Headlines Developing Interventions in a Memory Clinic During a Pandemic Judith Kimber, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist, Memory Clinic Gwynedd and Anglesey, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board The Memory Clinic for Anglesey and with feedback gained from service users Gwynedd is a nurse led, assessment and and their supporters at every stage in a diagnostic service targeted at people co-production approach. Uptake has been presenting in the mild to moderate stages 87% following the offer post diagnostically, of a suspected dementia. Prior to the with a success rate of 91%. This has now pandemic Occupational Therapy (OT) led been rolled out as an active offer of post interventions were being reviewed and diagnostic intervention, in Welsh and developed in order to respond to the large English languages, and run by experienced rural geographical region covered, variable health care support workers under OT group uptake, resources and skill mix within supervision. Feedback has been extremely the team, current recommendations of positive, with clients’ confidence, language evidenced based practice, and in response skills, autonomy and engagement notably to feedback from service users and their improving as the session’s progress. supporters.

HBMR, based on cognitive rehabilitation Planned roll out of the Home Based Memory principles, was also piloted using remote Rehabilitation Programme (HBMR), group methods and now runs bridging as a preand individual Cognitive Stimulation post diagnostic intervention led by OT. Therapy (CST) at the start of 2020 was Client feedback has been positive, with cancelled due to service suspension and weekly goals set working towards improved staff redeployment; however, on resuming confidence and independence. Uptake for the service under a new hybrid model HBMR following an offer has been 100%, in June 2020, this was revisited. Given with an 87% success rate. Success is listed the Alzheimer’s Society Covid-19 Impact for both interventions as an individual Report (2020) on the detrimental effects of completing a programme in full, but the the pandemic and the teams experiences of feedback received from service users is a working again with our client group it was true measure. felt essential that the service was able to proceed with developments in order to best “I’m feeling more confident and can see the support our service users. benefits”- This individual started the CST sessions with their partner present and was Individual CST was piloted using remote initially nervous and feeling they would not methods, either telephone or video call, be able to organize themselves. They had