Kent, Surrey and Sussex has the oldest ageing population of any UK region. The number of people aged 65-84 will increase by 33% and those aged 85+ will double by 2030. Regionally, the numbers with dementia are forecast to grow by up to 50% by 2030.
Dementia was identified as a priority area for the Health Education England South East (HEESE) - Skills Development Strategy (SDS), following public consultation with providers of NHS care, patients and carers. The essential contribution of education and training to improving the quality of care for people with dementia and their carers was recognised, together with the need to develop an education and training strategy that aligns with service needs. The SDS in Dementia Care complements the requirements of Health Education England’s (HEE) refreshed national mandate (April 2014), which details the government’s objectives for workforce planning, health education and training and development.
The HEESE SDS Dementia Care Programme is led and managed by the Centre for Dementia Studies. The programme aims to develop and deliver the skills needed by healthcare staff to enable people with dementia and their families to lead a good quality of life. To achieve this, regional stakeholder events were held during 2013/14 and, as a result, the following workforce development themes have been identified.
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