Dementia Support Line
Peer befriending in a range of settings - Re Connect, Gloucestershire
Read about a befriending and peer support service in Gloucestershire, and how they supported a volunteer with progressing dementia.
The Purpose
Around 9,000 people live with dementia in Gloucestershire. This number is expected to increase.
Gloucestershire's Dementia Strategy and Sustainability and Transformation Plan recognise the need for multi-agency approaches
- to help people live better with dementia in the community
- to maintain their independence and ability to live in their own homes for longer
- to avoid the distress and health decline associated with avoidable hospital admissions.
Re Connect peer befriending project is one way that the voluntary sector is helping to support delivery of that ambition.
Preparation:
Re Connect organisers encourage people with dementia to join their local peer support groups - or to set up their own if they can't get to them.
What happened:
Example: Alison's story
Alison (pseudonym) accepted the invitation to become a peer befriender when she was aged 90 and had begun to attend Re Connect support group. She was still driving. She lived alone. She had worked as a clinical psychologist and had great insight into her dementia and macular degeneration. She accepted the invitation to become a befriender. She completed the training, DBS clearance checks and carried out home visits.
Alison became less able to get out and about, but still wanted to be involved. Re Connect worked with her, enabling her to organise peer support meetings at her home.
- As time has gone on and her condition has progressed, Re Connect has provided a volunteer who supports Alison to do the organising, enabling Alison to do as much as she feels able to do and ensuring the group goes well.
- Other group members have also taken on roles such as putting chairs out, serving tea etc, all helping each other.
- Re Connect get regular feedback to ensure the experience of Alison and all the service users is positive and that everyone's needs are met.
Alison still attends the main group and goes on trips when she can. She still plays a huge part in supporting others. She now has a “buddy” to call her and remind her when it is on. She still attends befriender training days such as first aid and dementia awareness
The results:
Alison's story is just one example. Overall:
- More people with dementia and carers, are being enabled to choose to be active and connected in their local community in ways that matter to them.
- Creative Sustainability CIC, who provide Re Connect, have become known for being so good at risk management that they provide advice to other organisations who want to develop activities too.
What changed for people with dementia:
Re Connect have found that peer befriending is very popular. As a result they are now working with carers of people with dementia whose partners have now gone into care homes, to offer befriending services and connect with other people who might be isolated or without much community support near them.
Learning points:
-
adapt alongside the person
'if their health deterioration means that they no longer fit the volunteer job description, then we change the job description!'
Key contacts to find out more:
Coryn Email: [email protected]
Useful links:
Re Connect Creative Sustainability CIC
