News SweetTree Home Care Services is one of the first home care companies to employ an Admiral nurse to support families affected by dementia. The firm provides domiciliary and live-in care for frail, older people and specialist programmes for those with dementia. Chief executive of the MS Society Michelle Mitchell has joined the board of trustees at the King’s Fund. Before joining the society in 2013, Ms Mitchell was director general at Age UK, where she led work on social care, health and patient engagement. Guidance on designing mental health units for people with dementia is available. Developed by the Dementia Services Development Centre, it shows how, for minimum cost, mental health units can be adapted to accommodate the complex combination of physical, sensory, cognitive and perceptual impairments experienced by many people with dementia. Find out more at www.dementia.stir.ac.uk RCN Bulletin Jobs Fair is taking place in Manchester from July 1-2. Entry is free. A comprehensive programme of free seminars will offer expert guidance on a variety of topics, including creating an eye-catching CV, finding the right job and choosing a specialty. Register at www.rcnbulletinjobsfair.com The Nursing and Midwifery Council is holding a series of summits for nurses and midwives to explore and contribute to its work on how revalidation can work in different areas of practice. The summits are also seeking views on a new code of conduct. The events will be held in Leeds on June 18, Cardiff on June 26 and Glasgow on July 11. Go to tinyurl.com/NMCRevalevents 6

June 2014 | Volume 26 | Number 5

Government promises to train all NHS staff in dementia care by 2018 ALL NHS staff will have received dementia training by 2018, according to a Health Education England mandate. So far, 110,000 staff have been trained in how to spot the early symptoms of dementia, understand how to interact with people with the condition and direct them to the most appropriate care and support. The commitment runs in parallel with plans aiming to make sure that NHS higher education courses include dementia training in their curriculum. Chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society Jeremy Hughes said: ‘This is huge progress. People with dementia occupy up to one quarter of hospital beds and many may not be able to

Updated guidance on pressure ulcer prevention issued PATIENTS ‘AT risk’ of developing pressure ulcers should be repositioned at least every six hours and those ‘at high risk’ should have their position changed at least every four hours, according to new guidance. The updated guidance on preventing and managing pressure ulcers, produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), stresses the importance of risk assessment, adjusting patients’ positions and the use of high-specification foam mattresses. Challenges specific to heel pressure ulcers are highlighted, as are the need for individualised care plans and the importance of training staff in pressure ulcer prevention. The guidance comes as NHS-wide targets are being finalised concerning minimising the proportion of patients with pressure ulcers in category two, three and four. These targets are expected to be introduced next year in the NHS Outcomes Framework. Four nurses, including Mark Collier, were among the 13 healthcare professionals who advised NICE on the guidance. Mr Collier, a nurse consultant in tissue viability at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

Charles Milligan

In brief

Staff will be trained to be aware of patients’ complex needs

communicate that they are pain, in need of help, hungry, thirsty or simply uncomfortable. This is why it is vital that all staff from porters to nurses and doctors are aware of dementia and trained in how they can meet the complex needs of those with the condition. ‘However, two thirds of people with dementia live in the community, so training care workers in how to work with people with the condition is just as important.’

‘Risk assessments should be carried out on admission and at regular intervals. That is crucial. Assessments should be with validated tools such as the Waterlow tool. There should be ongoing assessments, especially when there are early signs of damage, such as discolouring or tissue hardening.’ He acknowledged that some healthcare providers would find it challenging to provide high quality mattresses, and possibly enough staff to monitor patient positions as often as recommended. British Dermatological Nursing Group operations manager Susan Maguire said the guidance is comprehensive, but staff need enough resources to deliver good quality care. In recent years, a debate among tissue viability nurses has focused on whether pressure ulcers are preventable. Ms Maguire said: ‘Pressure ulcer incidence can be reduced to zero if all the checks are done and nurses have the right equipment and support.’ She added: ‘Training in pressure ulcer assessment and management is important, but it needs to be for all the multidisciplinary team.’ Find out more Download NICE clinical guideline 179, Pressure Ulcers: Prevention and Management of Pressure Ulcers at tinyurl.com/omnt6bf NURSING OLDER PEOPLE

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Government promises to train all NHS staff in dementia care by 2018.

ALL NHS staff will have received dementia training by 2018, according to a Health Education England mandate...
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