Excellent dementia care in hospitals - Jo James

Highly Commended in Medicine in the 2018 BMA Medical Book Awards

People with dementia increasingly find themselves staying in hospitals for extended periods, often due to separate health issues. This best-practice guide presents healthcare staff with the information and tools needed to provide excellent person-centred care to people with dementia in hospital settings.

This useful handbook includes information and innovative strategies on how to manage common issues, including communication, physical health needs, pain, eating and nutrition, working with carers and relatives, understanding behaviour and approaching the end of life. It also highlights ethical considerations such as human rights and dementia, making decisions and the Mental Capacity Act. Each chapter includes a case study, emphasising the person at the centre of care and providing examples of how hospital staff can work with people with dementia to ensure best practice.

Jo James, Jules Knight, Bethany Cotton, Rita Freyne, Josh Pettit and Lucy Gilby comprise the Dementia Care Team at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The team provides support and expert advice for staff in the trust as well as patients, families and carers using the services.

Nicci Gerrard and Julia Jones are authors and founders of John's Campaign which advocates for the right to stay with people with dementia in hospital.

This book is an excellent reminder of why patient-centred care is important and desirable for everyone concerned with the outcomes of hospital admission for people with dementia. It outlines logical ways of delivering care that are supported by evidence and also makes the argument for efficiency which is important in the current climate. Its simplicity is its strength.
Vicki Leah, consultant nurse

This book is both interesting and helpful in many different ways providing practical advice and possible solutions to help staff to consider the person and their psychological /social needs and not simply as the 'confused' patient with a physical ailment.
This book should be on every shelf of every ward!
Caroline Baker, Director of Dementia Care at Barchester Healthcare and author of Developing Excellent Care for People Living with Dementia in Care Homes

Struggling to think of a situation with a higher risk of the loss of self and well-being than that experienced by people with dementia in acute hospitals, which is why this book, bringing to life an improved approach to care through personal narratives, is highly recommended and warmly welcomed.
Tessa Gutteridge, Director of YoungDementia UK

This is essential reading for acute hospital healthcare professionals caring for people with dementia. Insightful case studies link evidence based frameworks to practical ways of improving care for people with dementia in hospital. Its accessible format means you can quickly dip into the issues relevant for you.
Michelle Parker RN MSc BN (Hons), Lecturer in Adult Nursing, University of London