#dementia – Dorset Care Record

Patient waiting times have been cut and engagement enhanced with friends and family following the decision to give Help and Care dementia care staff access to the Dorset Care Record (DCR).

As part of Dorset HealthCare’s revised dementia care pathway service, health and care staff that were working for the Alzheimer’s Society were brought in last year to provide post-diagnostic support for people with a diagnosis of dementia, and their families and carers. This includes a dedicated early Onset (younger) dementia provision, as well as county-wide dementia roadshows, offering information on dementia to local people and agencies. Continue reading “Dorset Care Record provides enhanced customer service for Dorset’s revised dementia care pathway” →

Occupational therapist Kelly James, who works for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) in the Christchurch locality team, says the Dorset Care Record has helped provide her with quicker access to better information.

Kelly, who has been an OT in adult social care for the past two and a half years, said: “I started using the DCR as soon as it became available last year. I use it as part of information gathering for OT assessment. I use it every time I write a new assessment, which means I go there potentially on a daily basis to check medication and diagnosis.

“In addition, people who have dementia are not always aware of their diagnosis. If we call the GP surgery for confirmation for statutory services it can take a week for them to get back to us. This can delay the clinical assessment and our help for the individual. The DCR helps speed this up.”