Aims of the service/innovative practice:
To provide a student placement for first year Speech and Language Therapy students so they can learn about the power of life story work and use this to learn about person centred care when working with people with dementia. This is usually their first placement and so they learn many practical skills of interviewing people with dementia, carers etc. Most importantly they learn that a person's illness must be seen in the context of their life now, and in the past. The project is a joint initiative with the University of Manchester.
What have been the challenges and solutions in setting up and maintaining the innovative practice?
Mostly practical issues. We first started with a placement of ten students which was challenging to manage for two supervisors.
Outcomes (including how this was measured, evaluated and lessons learned):
We seek feedback each time from students and carers/people with dementia and all have found the experience very worthwhile. Students report seeing dementia within its context and report that this is an area they would like to work in. We have spread this practice and now four other areas are delivering life story placements like ours. We have produced good materials that have helped support conversation for people with dementia.
Plans for the future (eg sustainability):
We are going to keep going, try slightly different things eg formats
Contact Name:
Laura Brierly and Jackie Kindell
Position:Speech and Language Therapists
Organisation: Pennine Care Trust
Email: Laura.Brierley@nhs.net