Best Acute Care Initiative: Ward 44 Victoria Hospital – NHS Fife

Best Innovation in Continuing Care: Dundonald House – Anne Kerr & Ruth Murdoch

Best Community Support Initiative: Facing Dementia Together Post Diagnostic Project – Alzheimer Scotland and East Renfrewshire CHCP

Best Dementia Friendly Community Initiative: The Motherwell Information Dementia Café – Motherwell CMHT for Older Adults, NHS Lanarkshire

Best Educational Initiative: Bridge to Vision – Royal National Institute of Blind People

Most Innovative Partnership: Argyll & Bute Dementia Teams – NHS Highland, Argyll & Bute Council & Alzheimer Scotland

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Prof. Mary Marshall, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the improvement of care and support given to people with dementia in Scotland. Prof. Mary Marshall receiving her lifetime achievement award from Geoff Huggins (Head of Mental Health, Scottish Government) and Henry Simmons (Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland)

These initiatives might aim to -
• enhance recognition of dementia
• reduce stress and distress
• evidence highly skilled interventions by dementia aware staff
• demonstrate close partnership working with families
• provide a more positive, personalised and enabling type of support
• realise speedier, supported discharge
• provide alternative solutions to hospitalisation

People with dementia can find themselves requiring acute care at any point on the dementia journey and therefore entries may either relate to a specific point or present a more generalised approach.

All entries must be able to demonstrate specific benefit to people with dementia. Entries which include extracts from people with dementia, carers and/or family members will be especially welcomed. The judging panel will be looking for entries which demonstrate many of these highly valued aspects –
• Including people with dementia, their carers, partners and families in key decision-making and activities, as well as making sure they remain included in their local communities
• Enabling people with dementia to stay empowered by continuing to use their own skills and maintain independence for as long as possible
• Maintaining the dignity, equality and respect of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families, as outlined in the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland and the Charter of Rights for people with dementia and their carers
• Connecting people with dementia, their carers, partners and families to information, advice, services, care, activities and peer support
• Ensuring a personalised approach by recognising and working according to the needs and wishes of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families
• Promoting the understanding of dementia, increasing knowledge about the illness and increasing empathy with people affected by it
• Working in partnership with other groups in the public, voluntary or independent sector to provide care, support or an activity

A suggested structure has been outline below, to aid the writing of your submission -
• Brief introduction to your initiative (Please remember the judges may not know about your initiative so write as clearly and concisely as possible about your project)
• Describe what prompted the initiative, what was done, who was involved in the initiative, any challenges that had to be overcome, how they were overcome, what worked well and the benefits of having the initiative in place
• How this reflects the content and aspirations of Promoting Excellence and the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland
• Provide evidence of evaluation; how you know it is making a difference to the quality of life for people with dementia, their families and carers
• Describe if and how your initiative will be sustained

The judging panel will be looking for the sort of initiatives that help people with dementia and their families stay in control of their own situation and challenge stereotypical attitudes towards dementia. These might relate to -
• assisting people to keep well, engaged and active
• realising personalised ambitions or dreams
• connecting people and families
• channelling interests in a new and creative way; they may illustrate how major challenges can be overcome
• involves people with dementia in creative pursuits which demonstrates and illustrates their strengths and potential

Entries might relate to any point in the experience of dementia; from the provision of a diagnosis, living well with increasing support or an initiative that supports someone to remain at home even when experiencing complex changes or the end of life.

All entries must be able to demonstrate specific benefit to people with dementia. Entries which include extracts from people with dementia, carers and/or family members will be especially welcomed. The judging panel will be looking for entries which demonstrate many of these highly valued aspects –
• Including people with dementia, their carers, partners and families in key decision-making and activities, as well as making sure they remain included in their local communities
• Enabling people with dementia to stay empowered by continuing to use their own skills and maintain independence for as long as possible
• Maintaining the dignity, equality and respect of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families, as outlined in the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland and the Charter of Rights for people with dementia and their carers
• Connecting people with dementia, their carers, partners and families to information, advice, services, care, activities and peer support
• Ensuring a personalised approach by recognising and working according to the needs and wishes of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families
• Promoting the understanding of dementia, increasing knowledge about the illness and increasing empathy with people affected by it
• Working in partnership with other groups in the public, voluntary or independent sector to provide care, support or an activity

A suggested structure has been outline below, to aid the writing of your submission -
• Brief introduction to your initiative (Please remember the judges may not know about your initiative so write as clearly and concisely as possible about your project)
• Describe what prompted the initiative, what was done, who was involved in the initiative, any challenges that had to be overcome, how they were overcome, what worked well and the benefits of having the initiative in place
• How this reflects the content and aspirations of Promoting Excellence and the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland
• Provide evidence of evaluation; how you know it is making a difference to the quality of life for people with dementia, their families and carers
• Describe if and how your initiative will be sustained

The judging panel will be looking for fresh, creative thinking applied to practice that may help people with dementia be more independent, involved, engaged, connected to their community, active and living to their full potential.

Entries might relate to imaginative approaches to enhance the lives of people with dementia in continuing care settings, including those experiencing the complex difficulties that later stages of the illness can bring. Ideas are welcomed that enhance the experience of people at any point on their journey through dementia, including at the end of life.

All entries must be able to demonstrate specific benefit to people with dementia. Entries which include extracts from people with dementia, carers and/or family members will be especially welcomed. The judging panel will be looking for entries which demonstrate many of these highly valued aspects –
• Including people with dementia, their carers, partners and families in key decision-making and activities, as well as making sure they remain included in their local communities
• Enabling people with dementia to stay empowered by continuing to use their own skills and maintain independence for as long as possible
• Maintaining the dignity, equality and respect of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families, as outlined in the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland and the Charter of Rights for people with dementia and their carers
• Connecting people with dementia, their carers, partners and families to information, advice, services, care, activities and peer support
• Ensuring a personalised approach by recognising and working according to the needs and wishes of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families
• Promoting the understanding of dementia, increasing knowledge about the illness and increasing empathy with people affected by it
• Working in partnership with other groups in the public, voluntary or independent sector to provide care, support or an activity

 A suggested structure has been outline below, to aid the writing of your submission -
• Brief introduction to your initiative (Please remember the judges may not know about your initiative so write as clearly and concisely as possible about your project)
• Describe what prompted the initiative, what was done, who was involved in the initiative, any challenges that had to be overcome, how they were overcome, what worked well and the benefits of having the initiative in place
• How this reflects the content and aspirations of Promoting Excellence and the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland
• Provide evidence of evaluation; how you know it is making a difference to the quality of life for people with dementia, their families and carers
• Describe if and how your initiative will be sustained

Entries are invited from all communities and care sectors involved in the support of people with dementia and from those involved in the education of those communities and sectors. The initiatives presented should reflect the aims of Scotland’s National Dementia Strategy and its associated standards and frameworks -

• Scotland’s National Dementia Strategy (pdf)
• Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland (pdf)
• Promoting Excellence: A framework for all health and social services staff working with people with dementia, their families and carers (pdf)

The judging panel will be looking for initiatives which help to support people with dementia not only to continue to live well within their own community but also remain valued, connected and involved members of that community.

Realising a truly dementia-friendly community could mean -
• addressing stigma and discrimination
• removing or adapting environmental barriers
• overcoming lack of awareness
• providing practical help
• developing enabling ideas or networks
• involves people with dementia in creative pursuits which demonstrates and illustrates their strengths and potential

They might create a more inclusive community or make community services more accessible to people with dementia.

All entries must be able to demonstrate specific benefit to people with dementia. Entries which include extracts from people with dementia, carers and/or family members will be especially welcomed. The judging panel will be looking for entries which demonstrate many of these highly valued aspects –
• Including people with dementia, their carers, partners and families in key decision-making and activities, as well as making sure they remain included in their local communities
• Enabling people with dementia to stay empowered by continuing to use their own skills and maintain independence for as long as possible
• Maintaining the dignity, equality and respect of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families, as outlined in the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland and the Charter of Rights for people with dementia and their carers
• Connecting people with dementia, their carers, partners and families to information, advice, services, care, activities and peer support
• Ensuring a personalised approach by recognising and working according to the needs and wishes of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families
• Promoting the understanding of dementia, increasing knowledge about the illness and increasing empathy with people affected by it
• Working in partnership with other groups in the public, voluntary or independent sector to provide care, support or an activity

A suggested structure has been outline below, to aid the writing of your submission -
• Brief introduction to your initiative (Please remember the judges may not know about your initiative so write as clearly and concisely as possible about your project)
• Describe what prompted the initiative, what was done, who was involved in the initiative, any challenges that had to be overcome, how they were overcome, what worked well and the benefits of having the initiative in place
• How this reflects the content and aspirations of Promoting Excellence and the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland
• Provide evidence of evaluation; how you know it is making a difference to the quality of life for people with dementia, their families and carers
• Describe if and how your initiative will be sustained

The judging panel will be looking for educational initiatives which raise awareness, help to change thinking about dementia and the potential of people with dementia.

Entries could relate to initiatives which -
• improve practice
• create a more inclusive community
• enhance quality of life
• make services and supports more accessible to people with dementia
• prepare staff to work differently, in a more personalised way
• bring people together to learn in an innovative way or be particularly good at facilitating learning from people with dementia and their families

They may be directed at any group including people with dementia, families and communities.

All entries must be able to demonstrate specific benefit to people with dementia. Entries which include extracts from people with dementia, carers and/or family members will be especially welcomed. The judging panel will be looking for entries which demonstrate many of these highly valued aspects –
• Including people with dementia, their carers, partners and families in key decision-making and activities, as well as making sure they remain included in their local communities
• Enabling people with dementia to stay empowered by continuing to use their own skills and maintain independence for as long as possible
• Maintaining the dignity, equality and respect of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families, as outlined in the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland and the Charter of Rights for people with dementia and their carers
• Connecting people with dementia, their carers, partners and families to information, advice, services, care, activities and peer support
• Ensuring a personalised approach by recognising and working according to the needs and wishes of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families
• Promoting the understanding of dementia, increasing knowledge about the illness and increasing empathy with people affected by it
• Working in partnership with other groups in the public, voluntary or independent sector to provide care, support or an activity

A suggested structure has been outline below, to aid the writing of your submission -
• Brief introduction to your initiative (Please remember the judges may not know about your initiative so write as clearly and concisely as possible about your project)
• Describe what prompted the initiative, what was done, who was involved in the initiative, any challenges that had to be overcome, how they were overcome, what worked well and the benefits of having the initiative in place
• How this reflects the content and aspirations of Promoting Excellence and the Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland
• Provide evidence of evaluation; how you know it is making a difference to the quality of life for people with dementia, their families and carers
• Describe if and how your initiative will be sustained