An NHS Trust is urging people in Bradford to ‘remember the person’ as part of Dementia Awareness Week.

With more than 5,000 people living with dementia in Bradford, Bradford District Care Trust is encouraging people to consider that behind every diagnosis there is someone living with the condition.

Janet Lister, an occupational therapist at the Trust’s specialist assessment unit, helps people with dementia express themselves as individuals.

To help with this, the team on Ward 24, at Airedale General Hospital, has developed an interactive tool to record service users’ life history and experiences.

The ‘Living Well’ folder contains information such as personal likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests and lifestyle profiles, all of which enable staff to get a greater understanding of personal situations.

Janet said: “When someone with an organic illness, such as dementia, is admitted to the ward we work closely with them and their families to find out as much as we can about them – it’s important to us to know service users’ personal preferences.

“The folder helps us build up a picture of the individual if they aren’t able to communicate to us freely how they feel or what they like.

“It can contain anything from what people like to wear, how they prefer to relax, their favourite CDs or poems and sometimes family photographs or even fabrics for a sensory experience.”

“All these types of things give us a greater insight into each service user and the more we know about a person, the better it is for them, us and their families in planning the right care.”

With permission from services users, the folder can be used as a communication tool for visitors.

Janet said: “Sometimes families or carers are at a loss as to what to talk about in a hospital setting, but the Living Well folder provides a perfect ice breaker. Talking about someone’s life or looking at photographs helps maintain a person’s autobiographical memory and is something that can be shared and enjoyed with others. It can make a real difference in rebuilding family relationships.”

As part of the national awareness week, Janet is highlighting the importance of being a friend to someone with dementia.

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