Additional Dementia Training For Community NHS Staff

Staff working in community health services across Lincolnshire have adopted a new scheme to enhance the support they offer to patients living with dementia.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) has adopted the Butterfly Scheme across its services, including hospital wards, community clinics and community teams who visit hundreds of patients every day in their own homes.

The Butterfly Scheme is an opt-in scheme, which uses a discreet symbol to identify patients with memory impairment who would like additional help and support.

The symbol represents a care approach based on a simple five-point response, which ensures consistency for the patient and enhances their care.

The scheme supports both those diagnosed with dementia and those with similar care needs, including those experiencing problems through temporary illness.

Jill Anderson, Dementia Lead at LCHS, said: "We are committed to making a difference to those in our care and the Butterfly Scheme will complement our existing knowledge and expertise to help support those with dementia. Over the last few months we have been significantly improving dementia care at the trust. We have introduced dementia champions across our services and are proud members of the Lincoln and South Lincolnshire groups of the Dementia Action Alliance. We have also been supporting the All About Me project, which is a document developed in Lincolnshire to contain key information about a person's routine, interests and preferences."

Barbara Hodkinson, Founder and Coordinator of The Butterfly Scheme, said: "At each of the launch events I met with an equally warm welcome and energetic participation, but what also struck me was the various teams’ willingness to share their strengths and to acknowledge areas still needing support. I hope and expect that the champions will now link up in order to support one another as they move forward. I saw very evident passion and commitment throughout the two days. It was heartwarming to witness the obvious commitment to improving dementia care, both within the hospitals and also in the community teams.”