Checklist for people with dementia and their carers

You may be invited to attend a CST. This is a programme of themed activity sessions held at the Memory Clinic one morning a week for 14 weeks. CST is one of a number of different approaches including therapy, that can support you to cope with memory loss.

If you are interested in attending, call the Bracknell Memory Clinic on 01189 046900.

If you are driving with a diagnosis of dementia  you must tell:

• the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
• your car insurance company

Having a diagnosis of dementia doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop driving. You can continue to drive for as long as it is safe to do so. 

You may find it helpful to use this NHS driving decision making tool (PDF, 6MB)

The Dementia Advisory Service and Age Concern Bracknell Forest host a coffee morning together.  Everyone is welcome and it is a great opportunity to have a chat with the team, as well as meet up with others in a similar situation. 

When: every Monday
Time: 10:30am to midday
Where: The Admiral Cunningham, Priestwood Court Road, Bracknell, RG42 1TU 

If you are coming along for the first time, let us know in advance so we can introduce you when you arrive. You can call us on 01189 046900 or email us at dementia.adviser@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

People with dementia can benefit from planning ahead.

Lasting power of attorney

A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf. Read about LPAs on GOV.UK. 

End of life care

You may want to consider planning for end of life care.

Read about planning for end of life care on the NHS website. 

Life Story

Creating a life story can be a useful way to record important information about someone. 

Read about creating a life story on the Dementia UK website.

Life Book

Age UK has a free booklet called Life Book. It is a place where you can write important information about your life, from who insures your car to where you put the TV licence.

This is Me

The Alzheimer's Society has a useful guide on planning ahead that includes information about lasting power of attorney and advance care planning. 

You may also like to consider completing a ‘This is Me’ document to share with others. This can be used to share information about yourself.

The Alzheimer’s Society have produced a great guide to help you live well with dementia. 

You don’t need to read all this information at once. You can focus on the parts that seem most relevant.

Find out how to share your views on services and support. 

There are lots of support groups and events for you to consider joining. 

If you need help to access these groups, the Bracknell Forest Community Network can help you. 

If transport is an issue, our voluntary transport service may be able to help. 

Discover support groups and events. 

The Berkshire Care Directory provides information and guidance on accessing support through local care agencies as well as care homes.

For help with care at home visit:

• care and support information - help for planning and arranging care
• My Care My Home - find care that’s right for you
• Berkshire Care Services Directory - the independent guide to care and support in Berkshire
• Berkshire Care Directory - directory of care agencies and care homes
• Age UK Berkshire - advice and services to combat loneliness and offers practical help in the home
• Alzheimer's Society support tool
• NHS continuing healthcare - some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS
• Paying for care calculator – check if you might be asked to contribute towards your care
• Assessing your support needs - request a needs assessment from Bracknell Forest Council

Find out about your entitlement to a care needs assessment, including how to request an assessment using our online portal.

The council is working towards a dementia friendly place to live.

This involves creating a greater awareness of dementia. This is to help those with dementia to:

• feel supported
• feel valued 
• be able to contribute within their community

You can sign up to become a dementia friend or ambassador.

Consider if any home adaptations would make things easier.

These could include:

• handrails
• stairlifts
• ramps
• lifeline pendants
• medication dispensers

Visit our occupational therapy page. 

The Alzheimer's Society have a booklet about making your home dementia friendly. 

We may also have grants available to make your home dementia friendly - visit our disabled facilities grants pages to find out more. 

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue service offer a free safe and well home visit to help reduce fire risks.

Vulnerable people, including people with dementia and those aged over 60 are eligible.

You can request a home visit by completing the safe and well online request form.

The Thames Valley Police -  Herbert Protocol – is a useful document to complete and refer back to should a person with dementia get lost in the community.  

A lifeline may benefit someone who feels vulnerable at home. This may be due to age, disability, ill health or simply because you live alone and need a friendly and reassuring voice at the end of the phone. Forestcare have other alarms and sensors to also help around the home. They also have options for GPS locator devices including the Pocket Pal.

Other GPS locator options are available. Please speak with your Care Coordinator.

Message in a bottle is a simple idea where emergency information is kept in a small plastic bottle. This can then be easily and quickly found by the Emergency Services in an emergency.

If you'd like to do this, the Bracknell Forest Lions Club can help. 

Read The Alzheimer's Society - tips for making your home dementia friendly.

People with dementia may be entitled to a range of benefits including:

• personal independent payments if you are under state pension age
• attendance allowance if you are over state pension age

There may also be other available benefits. You can browse benefits on GOV.UK. 

The Age UK website has advice on benefits, including a benefits calculator.

This can help you find out what benefits you could be eligible for, including:

• attendance allowance
• carer's allowance

Find out about support visits if you need help to claim benefits, on GOV.UK. 

Carers may be entitled to benefits. Read about carers allowance on GOV.UK.

You may be entitled to a discount on your council tax bill. Read about discounts for disabled people on GOV.UK.

People with severe mental impairment are not counted for council tax purposes. Read about discounts for people who aren't counted.

If you are disabled and need to make changes to your home, you may be eligible for a disabled facility grant.

This includes a grant to help make your home more dementia friendly. 

Consider completing a lasting power of attorney for finance and health and welfare.

This is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.

Check if you might be asked to contribute towards any future care costs. Calculate your contribution.

Think about completing a carers assessment with us. This is a good opportunity to review your own needs and get the support you need.

For carers of people with dementia there is a carers assessment template that can be completed. You can either complete this and send to your care coordinator or you can ask us to help you complete the form.

You might wonder what would happen if you had an emergency that meant you couldn't provide the care you usually do. 

Completing a carers emergency plan and having a carer's emergency card can help give you peace of mind.

Consider how your emotions impact on your role as a carer.

Our page for carers includes some top tips for getting emotional support. 

Our carer organisation for Bracknell Forest is SIGNAL. They offer free information and advice to adult carers. 

Register on the Signal 4 Carers website.

Consider attending the understanding dementia training course for family carers. 

To sign up, call the Bracknell Memory Clinic on 01189 046900.

Contact your utility companies to tell them you are a carer. Some companies may provide benefits.

Contact your GP to register as a carer.

Find out more on Carers UK. 

The Bracknell Forest Safeguarding Board has advice about:

• scams and fraud prevention
• advice for adults with care and support needs

Introduce yourself to your care coordinator. If you don't know who that is, ask us and we can help.

Your care coordinator could be our:

• dementia adviser
• community psychiatric nurse
• social worker

Explore the community map and find out what's happening near you.

Sign up to our newsletter.

A copy of the most recent newsletter can be found on our dementia support home page. 

Consider attending our dementia forum, held in April and October. This forum is for people living with dementia and their unpaid carers (family and friends). 

Hourglass provides information and advice to older victims of abuse.

Confidential helpline for older people - you can call them at anytime on 0800 4 70 80 90.

Our local hospitals have schemes in place that offer support for people with dementia, during their stay in hospital. These include: 

• the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
• the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

You can also read:

• advice about going into hospital from the Alzheimer's Society
• advice about preparing for hospital discharge from Carers UK
• advice about planning to leave hospital on GOV.UK
• information about support at home to prevent an unnecessary hospital admission or after a hospital stay

The British Red Cross - helps people to stay independent and offers:

• support after discharge from hospital
• borrow a wheelchair service

NHS Frimley is the statutory NHS organisation responsible for planning and delivering health and care services.

Occupational therapy helps people with disabilities carry out essential activities, with the aim of maintaining or improving independence.

They can help to:

• enable an individual to remain in their own home throughout a period of rehabilitation
• make a home safe for getting around, for example by installing hand rails and ramps
• support carers to maintain their caring responsibilities
• manage personal care, such as getting you to the bathroom and on and off the toilet
• get you safely around your home so you can prepare meals, get in and out of bed and manage the steps and stairs

For more information, email the Adult Social Care Team adult.socialcare@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

Join dementia research

If you would like to take part in research, you can register your interest with Join dementia research.

NHS research

The NHS is committed to taking part in health research so that they can continue to improve our treatments and services.

Your participation can help improve their understanding of a wide range of health issues.

Types of studies

There are many different types of studies. This means you can choose the ones that fit the best with your lifestyle. Some of the types of studies include: 

• completing a questionnaire
• giving a blood or tissue sample
• clinical trials (medicines)
• trying new equipment and treatments
• testing new ways to diagnose an illness
• taking part in a focus group or interview

Your choice

Taking part in research is your choice, and you can change your mind at any time. 

Research results

If you want to know the results of the study, ask the study team. 

Contact

You can get in contact by:

• email: research@berkshire.nhs.uk
• phone: 0118 378 5274

A specialist mental health occupational therapist assesses the impact of mental health and cognitive changes on day-to-day functioning.  

Their support includes:

• alternative techniques
• compensatory approaches
• supportive equipment and technology 

They can help in the following ways.

Day-to-day functioning assessment

They can all areas of the persons day-to-day functioning. This is useful if trying to pinpoint where the person’s difficulties lie or if you are considering a change of living environment.

Telecare equipment assessment

They can assess whether you would benefit from a range of telecare equipment to reduce risk and support the person to remain in the home environment.  

This could include a temporary loan of the Canary System.  The Canary System uses movement sensors in rooms and at the front and back doors to create a picture regarding the person’s routine.  It will also monitor temperature and light levels.  

Dementia friendly advice

They can give advice on:

• making your home dementia friendly
• memory support strategies and equipment
• activities, such as eating, drinking and communication  

For more information, contact the dementia adviser.

If you have a diagnosis of dementia, you may experience difficulties with communication and swallowing.

Communication difficulties might include:

• difficulty remembering what someone has said or a question they have asked
• forgetting the names of objects or people
• finding it harder to get your words out
• difficulty keeping track of conversations

Swallowing difficulties might mean:

• you find it harder to chew food
• you find yourself chewing without swallowing
• that eating and drinking makes you cough

Speech and language therapists are trained to support people with these difficulties.

You will be able to see a speech therapist if you have a referral accepted by the Bracknell Memory Clinic and the Memory Team feels you will benefit from speech therapy support.

You can also read advice on the:

• NHS website - communicating with someone with dementia
• Alzheimer's Society website:
  • communicating and dementia
  • eating and drinking