Award-winning team gets a big thank you as new initiative launched
Respect for dementia’ campaign lead Gabriel Tamaya receives the Health Enterprise East award for Tackling Inequalities from Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust chief executive Mark Halladay, watched by staff and partners who helped with the campaign.
A thank you get together was held today for people who worked on Suffolk’s award-winning Respect for Dementia campaign.
The anti-stigma campaign, which improves understanding of living with the condition, was led by Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
The campaign produced two dementia diaries, which were written from real experiences of people affected by the condition, a DVD and posters to show how people’s attitudes can really make a difference to those diagnosed and their carers’ wellbeing.
The campaign won first prize in the tackling inequalities category at a recent awards ceremony organised by Health Enterprise East, the NHS innovation hub for the East of England.
A coffee and cakes morning was held at the Trust in Ipswich today <26 Oct> to which carers’ groups and organisations involved in making the campaign a success were invited. Chief executive Mark Halladay thanked those involved and presented the award trophy to campaign lead, Gabriel Tamaya.
The thank you event coincides with the launch of a new Dementia Action Alliance and its National Dementia Declaration. The declaration outlines outcomes which patients want to achieve to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.
The headings for desired outcomes for patients are:
The declaration has come about because although public awareness of dementia is high, understanding about it is still very poor. Only one third of people with dementia receive a specialist diagnosis and many are receive that diagnosis late.
Respect for Dementia campaign manager Gabriel Tamaya said: “The aims and objectives of the dementia declaration closely mirror those of our own campaign. I am sure the new organisation will play a vital role in improving the lives of people living with dementia now and in the future.”
Organisations signing the declaration set out publicly what they intend to do by 2014 to transform quality of life for people with dementia and their family carers.
Each organisation is committed to ensuring that their work is informed by the views of patients and carers, reporting on their progress against their published plans and working in partnership with other organisations to share knowledge and best practice in dementia.
Ends
Further information about the national declaration is available at:
http://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/dementiaaction/info/3/national_dementia_declaration
Respect for dementia press coverage for winning award.
Evening Star [15/10/10]
EADT [15/10/10]
Respect for dementia campaign wins Innovation East award.
[22/09/10]
Members of the 'Respect for dementia' campaign team pick up their award from news anchorman Huw Edwards. (Left to right) Crys Rapley, David Jarrold, Robert Nesbitt, Huw Edwards and Dr Robert Butler.
A Suffolk Trust has won first prize for Tackling Inequalities at the prestigious East of England 2010 Innovations Competition.
Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust won the coveted award for their anti-stigma campaign ‘Respect for dementia’, which aims to create a better understanding of the condition.
The awards were organised by Health Enterprise East (HEE), the NHS Innovation Hub for the East of England, who also awarded the Trust with a prize fund of £2000 to help them continue their work.
Robert Nesbitt, director of community engagement for the Trust, said: “We are delighted to have won this fantastic award. We will be investing the prize fund back into the campaign by translating our ‘Respect for dementia’ materials into other languages.
“We are so grateful for the praise we have received and will now focus on engaging with the wider community by further promote awareness of dementia and its affects on people’s lives.”
‘Respect for dementia’ produced two diaries and a short film, which draws on the real life stories of people in Suffolk who have been affected by dementia, including carers of those diagnosed.
Robert Nesbitt attended the awards with lead specialist nurse David Jarrold, consultant psychiatrist Robert Butler and campaign board member Crys Rapley, who attended on behalf of campaign lead Gabriel Tamaya.
Overall 65 entries were made to the competition, with one first prize winner in each of the five categories: Medical Technology, Software & ICT, Patient Safety, Moving Care Closer to Home and Tackling Inequalities.
Respect for dementia campaign short listed for award. [09/08/10]
We are pleased to announce that the Respect for Dementia campaign has recently been short listed for the ‘Health Enterprise East 2009 Innovation Competition’ in the 'Tackling Inequalities Category'.The awards are to be held on 22nd September at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.
Further updates coming soon....
Campaign launches new short film [30/06/10]
A short film that highlights the issues faced when someone is diagnosed with dementia has been produced by Suffolk campaign ‘Respect for dementia’.
The awareness and anti-stigma campaign is part of the public benefit work of Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.
The film, which has been released in time for Dementia Awareness Week (5th-11th July 2010) is available free to the public as a DVD and to view online by clicking here.
‘Respect for dementia’ provides guidance about what to expect for people who are newly diagnosed with dementia. It also provides information about where to find support for both the person diagnosed and their loved ones.
Rob Butler, consultant psychiatrist for older people’s mental health, said: “’Respect for dementia’ is a really positive development in promoting better information for those affected by the illness in Suffolk.
“This short film highlights the stigma and isolation faced by people diagnosed with dementia and their family members. It is important that people know they are not alone.
“I have been involved in this campaign from the start and I know that it is increasing awareness of dementia and its effects.”
The film was commissioned due to the positive response from a set of diaries created and launched for the campaign during Dementia Awareness Week last year.
Rob added: “The dementia diaries tell the feelings and thoughts of both a person diagnosed with the condition, and that person’s partner. They were compiled from real stories from people in Suffolk and already more than one thousand have been distributed to date.”
To request a copy of the DVD and/or diaries please leave a message with your contact details at 01473 329785 or email membership@smhp.nhs.uk.
The release of this film comes after the new Health Secretary Andrew Lansley's called for a bigger focus on dementia across the NHS earlier this month.
Click here to watch the film.