title: Enabling hospital staff to care for people with dementia.
abstract: This is the fourth and final article in a short series that presents case study examples of the positive work achieved by trusts who participated in the Royal College of Nursing's development programme to improve dementia care in acute hospitals. Dementia training in hospitals is often inadequate and staff do not always have sufficient knowledge of dementia to provide appropriate care. It can also be difficult for them to identify when patients with dementia are in pain, especially when their communication skills deteriorate. The case studies presented illustrate how two NHS trusts have worked to ensure that their staff are fully equipped to care for people with dementia in hospital. Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Essex made dementia training a priority by including dementia awareness in staff induction across a range of roles and providing additional training activities tailored to meet staff needs. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust focused on pain assessment, aiming to standardise its approach for patients with dementia. The pain assessment in advanced dementia tool was chosen and piloted, and is being implemented across the trust after a positive response.
authors.affiliation: University of Worcester.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bray
authors.affiliation: University of Worcester.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: University of Worcester.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: University of Worcester.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: University of Worcester.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brooker
authors.affiliation: University of Worcester.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milosevic
authors.affiliation: Dementia UK.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010564:Personnel, Hospital
keywords: acute hospitals; dementia; development programme; pain assessment tools; staff training