Personalisation and Dementia

Helen Sanderson is CEO of Helen Sanderson Associates (HSA) and Director Emeritus of the International Community for Person-Centred Practices. She has been closely involved in the development of person-centred thinking and planning in the UK over the last fifteen years. She is the author of A Practical Guide to Delivering Personalisation and Creating Person-Centred Organisations, both published by JKP. HSA's partnership with Borough Care Ltd and Stockport Council were runners up in the National Dementia Awards 2012 in the innovation category. Gill Bailey trained initially as a nurse and has worked with a range of providers and commissioning units across adult health and social care for over twenty-five years, and in the last ten years this has focussed on supporting people living with dementia. She is a Dementia Care Mapper, has a diploma in Dementia Studies and is studying for a master's degree in this area. She is currently working with providers to introduce Individual Service funds in residential and homecare services for people living with dementia.

A refreshingly readable book, feels and looks like a text book but reads like a supportive coaching manual. Very in-depth but that doesn't distract from the clarity of the writing style... Too many highlights really including - "one-page profiles", "personalisation" and "person centred practices" because they have resonance across all spheres of Nursing. They make you sit up, think and reflect on your own work. Chapter 5 "matching staff and clarifying responsibilities" is my highlight. Suggesting how matching staff characteristics with persons living with dementia, develops a win-win relationship... I would like to see everyone involved in elder care have access to a copy of this book. That's not just care staff, but non-care support staff too. It will be appropriate across all levels of nursing from NVQ support staff to ward managers and service providers.

• Foreword by Jeremy Hughes. Introduction. 1. About this Book - and Arthur. 2. Personalisation and People Living with Dementia with Martin Routledge, Head of Operations, In Control, UK 3. Knowing the Person - One-Page Profiles. 4. Choice and Control in Practice. 5. Matching Staff and Clarifying Responsibilities. 6. Acting on What is Working and Not Working. 7. Further Reflection, Learning and Action. 8. Past and Future - Life Stories and Future Wishes. 9. Being Part of the Community. 10. Putting it All Together - John's Story. 11. Getting Started and Progress for Providers. Appendix: Progress for Providers: Checking Your Progress in Delivering Personalised Support for People Living with Dementia in Care Homes. References. Index.