CHARTER OF RIGHTS SIGNED FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA

The parties involved in a landmark partnership aimed at improving care for people with dementia in Argyll and Bute will come together next week to officially adopt the Charter of Rights for People with Dementia.

Earlier in the summer, Argyll and Bute Council teamed up with NHS Highland and Alzheimer Scotland to sign a ground-breaking partnership.

Together, the three agencies are providing local community service for people with dementia across Argyll and Bute. Funding for the establishment of community dementia teams has been provided from the closure of continuing care beds at Argyll and Bute Hospital.

There are now link workers and community psychiatric nurses in post in each of the local areas, and these are merging with the pre-existing dementia services to form the local teams.

There is also an over-arching steering group which is guiding the development of the joint services for people with dementia across Argyll and Bute.

The partnership arrangements are in keeping with the Dementia Strategy for Scotland, launched by the Scottish Government on June 1, 2010.

Next Monday (November 1) at 11am Argyll and Bute Council’s Executive Director of Community Services Cleland Sneddon, Argyll and Bute Community Health Partnership General Manager Derek Leslie and Henry Simmons, Alzheimer Scotland Chief Executive will be at the council Chamber at Kilmory to officially sign up to the Charter of Rights for People with Dementia. You are invited to send a photographer/reporter to the event.

Councillor Donald McIntosh, Argyll and Bute’s spokesperson for Social Services, said that Argyll and Bute was delighted to be among the first councils in Scotland to sign up to the charter.

He added that the council was committed to promoting the charter, and that staff will be involved in awareness-raising training.

“The goodwill of the partner agencies to work together with people who have dementia and their carers will genuinely improve community services for people with dementia across Argyll and Bute,” he said.

“We are delighted to be involved in such a valuable partnership, and look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues in both the Community Health Partnership and Alzheimer Scotland for the benefit of people with dementia and their carers.”