Dementia-Friendly Pharmacy

Pharmacies are the most accessible and frequently-visited source of healthcare in England. More people than ever are now living with dementia so it makes sense for pharmacies to be as dementia-friendly as possible. This section of our website includes guidance on:

• Greater Manchester Dementia-Friendly Pharmacy Framework
• Top tips, case studies and examples from dementia-friendly pharmacies
• Resources to help you make your pharmacy more dementia-friendly
• Signposting: National & local dementia support, including Dementia Action Alliances
• Quality Payments & Dementia Friends

Why should my pharmacy become more dementia-friendly?

• You’ll be meeting the needs of an ever growing patient/customer base.
• You’ll enable people with dementia to receive the same high-quality care as your other patients/customers.
• It is also an important part of being a Healthy Living Pharmacy in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Dementia-Friendly Pharmacy Framework

The framework is an easy-to-use toolkit that helps you measure how dementia-friendly your pharmacy is now – and the steps you can take to enhance it over time. It was developed by the Pharmacy LPN, launched in Wigan in March 2017 and is now being adopted by pharmacies across Greater Manchester. We have produced a ‘top tips’ guide – with case studies – including examples of what you can do to achieve compliance with each of the criteria.

• Download the top tips and case studies.
• Dementia United programme – Bulletin 14. April 2022
• Dementia United Prospectus 2021/22

Dementia United programme Bulletin

Dementia United publish regular newsletters including updates around the work to increase dementia awareness and deal with a diagnosis. You can read the latest edition here 

Greater Manchester Dementia Care Pathway

The Dementia Care Pathway has been developed by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Programme through its Dementia Programme (Dementia United) as part of an Integrated Care System. Dementia United worked with people living with dementia, their care partners, and professionals in Greater Manchester to find out what matters to them and to use this information to co-produce a set of 75 dementia quality standards.

These quality standards provide information and resources for all stages of the dementia journey, from looking after the health of your brain, receiving, and managing a diagnosis, staying connected within your local community, to what to expect from end-of-life care and much more. Each standard includes information on how to access support and services across Greater Manchester and nationally, as well as evidence as to why the standard is important and examples of best practice showing how it has been successfully implemented.

A digital presentation for the Dementia Care Pathway was needed as the information it contained was too long and complex to easily navigate in other forms. It contains information which may not be relevant to every user therefore some way to allow for searching was also desirable. Dementia United in partnership with Health Innovation Manchester  commissioned Radical to develop the digital version of the Dementia Care Pathway.

WHERE WILL I FIND THE DEMENTIA CARE PATHWAY?

You can access the Dementia Care Pathway via link here Greater Manchester’s Dementia Care Pathway (gmdementiaresources.org.uk)

You can also access the Pathway via the link in this flyer Greater Manchester’s Dementia Care Pathway May 2022 and attached

WHO IS THE DEMENTIA CARE PATHWAY FOR?

Whether you’re a member of the public looking for local support and information for yourself or a loved one, a commissioner looking for best practice guidance on how to support people in your community, or work in health and social care and are looking for the evidence behind different interventions, you’ll find it in our dementia care pathway.

WHAT SUPPORT AND LOCAL RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE?

The website has a section where you are able to select your borough and information find associated resources and local support which are  available to support conversations with Patients, Carers and anyone else who is trying to find local information. This information  can be found here

Resources to help you make your pharmacy more dementia-friendly

There are some fantastic resources to help you and your team become more dementia-friendly.

• Creating a dementia-friendly environment: This checklist has really useful tips to make your pharmacy premises more dementia-friendly, e.g. having clear signage and a layout that is easy to navigate.
• Guidance & tips for customer-facing staff: The Alzheimer’s Society has produced a guide to help staff delivering face-to-face services to people with dementia.
• Producing dementia-friendly information: Tips to help you produce patient/customer information that is more accessible for people with dementia.
• Dementia-Friendly GP Practice Guide: Although this guide was produced for GP practices, pharmacies will also find some useful and relevant tips. It was developed by Making Space and NHS Bury CCG.
• Communicating with someone with dementia: Another useful Alzheimer’s Society guide.
• CPPE Dementia training: CPPE provide a range of training including: Dementia e-learning; Consulting with older people living with dementia; Dementia focal point with Dementia Friends Session; and Dementia floor on Thelearningpharmacy.com.
• Medicines optimisation for people with dementia: This CPPE guidance supports pharmacy teams with medicines optimisation for people with dementia, enhancing clinical care and patient experience.

Signposting: National & local links for dementia support 

There is a vast amount of support and guidance out there, including free information leaflets, memory cafes, singing for the brain, physical activities, carers support, and much more. Greater Manchester Police has now introduced the Herbert Protocol, which aims to reduce the time it takes to find someone with dementia if they go missing. The University of Manchester runs a free legal advice clinic for people with dementia and their carers. We’ve got loads of useful links below to help pharmacies signpost people to national and local support.

• The Herbert Protocol: The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme that has been introduced locally by Greater Manchester Police and other agencies which encourages carers and family members to compile useful key information which could be used in the event of a vulnerable person going missing. This short film is a great overview of how it works and why it matters. Pharmacies can sign up to support the scheme, using these resources:
  • Leaflet
  • Poster
  • Certificate showing you support the scheme
  • Copy of the Herbert Protocol form
• Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Guide: This guide is for people who have been diagnosed with dementia and those supporting them. It’s available in English and a range of other languages, with factsheets and video versions.
• Alzheimer’s Society publications: An extensive range of factsheets, guidance and information
• Alzheimer’s Society Talking Point: Online discussion forum with advice, information and peer support for people with dementia and their carers.
• Alzheimer’s Society ‘Brain Tour’: This is a really interesting resource that explains more about different types of dementia.
• Dementia UK publications: You can order from an extensive range of information leaflets.
• Dementia UK – Sources of support and advice: A webpage and guide that explains what support and advice is available for people with dementia. It includes information about Admiral Nurses.
• Dementia Law Clinic (free): The University of Manchester and Making Space run a dementia law clinic providing free advice on legal matters, admiral nursing and communication to support people with dementia and their families/carers. Find out more.
• Dementia-friendly homes: Pharmacy teams may find this guide useful when advising patients/customers or carers of people with dementia.
• Dementia Action Alliances: We are also encouraging pharmacies to join their local Dementia Action Alliance. A Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) brings groups, organisations and businesses together to improve the lives of people with dementia. Greater Manchester LPC has joined the DAAs across Greater Manchester. DAAs are also a great source of support and advice on how you can make your pharmacy more dementia-friendly – and for signposting your patients/customers to local support services for people with dementia. To join, you just need to complete a short action plan and submit it online. Find out more about local Dementia Action Alliances. (Note: Rochdale does not currently have a DAA.)

Local signposting information:

• Alzheimer’s Society: local services near you

Quality Payments and Dementia Friends

Pharmacies that have ensured at least 80% of their patient-facing staff are Dementia Friends can claim Quality Payments at both the April and November review dates (providing you also meet the quality payments gateway criteria).

It’s easy to become a Dementia Friend. You can watch a short film online. If possible, it’s also a great idea to attend a face-to-face session where you will gain more insight into what it’s like to live with dementia and how we can all make life easier for people with dementia.