Supporting world Alzheimer's month
Date added: 01 September 2023
In the month of September, we are supporting world Alzheimer's month. This month is a global opportunity to raise awareness around, educate, encourage support of and demystify dementia.
Each September, people unite from all corners of the world to raise awareness and to challenge the stigma that persists around Alzheimer’s disease and all types of dementia.
There are estimated to be almost 950,000 people currently living with dementia in the UK and nearly 50 million people living with dementia worldwide. As the population ages and people live for longer, it has become one of the most important health and care issues facing the world.
Dementia is a growing challenge that affects an estimated 24,000 people in Kent and Medway. Here at Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) we provide a range of services for people affected by dementia including memory assessment services, specialist support for carers, and support for people in crisis.
The overall theme for World Alzheimer’s Month 2023 is ‘never too early, never too late.’ Our dementia services are here to support those throughout every stage of their dementia journey.
It’s never too early or too late to reach out for support and that’s why we continue to research dementia to help our services to become the best they can.
Join Dementia Research is a national register where anyone over the age of 18, with or without a dementia diagnosis can sign-up to take part in dementia research. Research and Development teams within NHS Mental Health Trusts use Join Dementia Research to find potential volunteers to take part in dementia trials running at their organisations.
KMPT recognises the value of Join Dementia Research by having a dedicated member of the team to manage the Trust’s use of the system. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, several members of the team used Join Dementia Research to recruit participants to studies such as the AD Genetics study and the Problem Adaptation Therapy for Depression in Dementia (PATHFINDER) study. The team would individually conduct searches and contact potential participants. They now have a dedicated member of staff, Rachel Smith, an Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner, to manage Join Dementia Research for the whole team which streamlines the process.
Rachel is trained and authorised to use Join Dementia Research and she conducts daily checks to screen for participants. Rachel has access to volunteers’ contact details, some basic medical information such as diagnosis, and medication information, which will help the service match the volunteer’s information to studies being run at the Trust. She will contact the matched volunteers to discuss the study and assess eligibility.
Rachel said: “Join Dementia Research is useful as it provides us with access to thousands of potential volunteers who want to be involved in research. The service helps researchers improve study recruitment, ensuring studies are delivered on time and to target. Also, we can see how people would like to be contacted (i.e. through email, by telephone), and also we can leave messages for people via the site.”
Having a dedicated member of staff to manage Join Dementia Research enables the Trust to apply to have more of their Trust-led studies placed onto the system as the workload will be easily managed.
Clinical Research Practitioners also promote Join Dementia Research during face-to-face research visits when it is appropriate to do so. With more KMPT service users learning about Join Dementia Research and the type of studies that are available to take part in, more people will have the opportunity to take part in important dementia research.
Amy Hammond, Clinical Research Team Leader at KMPT said: “Join Dementia Research gives service users the control to decide whether to sign up and take part in a relevant study. It not only gives them access to studies being run by KMPT but access to studies from across the country, especially online or survey studies which can be completed from home.”
Find out more about the KMPT Research and Innovation team on the KMPT website.
