involve Issue 12 Summer 2012 - Surrey and Borders Partnership ...

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All About Me: Lalita Haurdhan With a background in learning disability services, Lalita Haurdhan is passionate about providing person-centred care which values people as individuals. She is now applying this approach within services for older people with dementia. Lalita joined the Meadows in West Park last year as the Deputy Ward Manager for Bluebell Wards 1 and 2. These are two separate wards for men and women, each providing assessment and treatment for people with dementia. Until last year, Lalita was deputy team leader for a campus of learning disability care homes at Ethel Bailey Close in Epsom. She is now keen to use the skillset and expertise she developed there to bring a new dimension to older adult services. People are admitted to Bluebell wards for assessment because they show signs of dementia and are unable to cope with daily living activities. As a result, they may also demonstrate challenging behaviour. “Having worked in learning disability services, I can see some similarities in the reasons behind behaviour that might seem unsettled or confrontational – both in people with a learning disability and in dementia sufferers – such as boredom, frustration, an inability to communicate or an inability to make a decision. This unpredictable behaviour can often be interpreted as challenging.“ she says. “We approach this by finding out what activities people like, what they dislike, as well as what they used to do and encourage them to record this information in a ‘This is Me Passport’. This is a really good tool which helps us to support people’s emotional and social needs as well as their mental and physical requirements.” Since January 2010, Lalita has also introduced a bi-monthly social and entertainment function in the unit’s core lounge where patients, families and carers spend time away from the ward and get to meet each other. The events include music and enable patients to participate – with singing if that’s what they like to do. Plans were also put in place Kenneth (centre) celebrates his birthday with his family at the social event Lalita Haurdhan recently to enable one patient to watch his son’s wedding ceremony via the internet (as it took place in America) and to have time away from the ward to attend the local reception, accompanied by two members of staff. Lalita says: “Mr Anderson was fully supported and attending his son’s wedding reception made this special day a very memorable one.” Kenneth with the bride and groom 6 | involve Issue 12 Summer 2012
Service Spotlight: Loddon Alliance What is this service? Loddon Alliance provides a specialist social care service, known as supported living. This service supports adults with complex needs in their own home regardless of whether they live with their family, on their own or are sharing with others. We provide person-centred services to enable people to live as independently as possible. Support may involve personal care, addressing health needs, meal preparation, activities, developing new skills and social networks: but all ensuring that the person is empowered to take the lead as much as possible. We assist people with moving from inpatient services into their own home and can provide shorter flexible sessions, focusing on a specific area, for the more independent. The service’s main office (Corbiere House) and the majority of its services are in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Who uses this service? We support around 60 people in North and East Hampshire and West Surrey who either have a learning disability, physical disability, autism and complex needs, mental ill-health or combination of these conditions. Why is this needed? Over the last ten years the Government’s Valuing People reports have emphasised the need for people with learning disabilities to have a range of housing options, including the option of living in their own accommodation. Supported living services recognise people’s individuality and their right to live the life they choose. They enable people to make choices about their housing and lifestyle so they can live as regular citizens, with the same rights and responsibilities as anyone else. Who works here? Loddon is divided into four locality teams. Each team contains a small group of around 25 experienced, trained support workers and senior support workers, whose skills and training matches the specific needs of the people they support. Adults with learning disabilities are employed as part of the management team to make sure that people who use the services are fully involved in how they are run. The operational management team all have significant experience of working in and managing services for people with learning disabilities. What’s the future? We continue to provide a significant number of services in North Hampshire, through: • Individual domiciliary care contracts with the local authority • Our contract with Hampshire Supporting People to provide tenancy-related support • Private contracts with individuals who pay for their own support, often with a personalised budget or direct payment Stronger links are being developed between the Hampshire services and with Community Learning Disability Teams across Surrey, and we are now receiving expressions of interest and referrals from health professionals. involve Issue 12 Summer 2012 | 7
Page 1 and 2: Members’ Newsletter Surrey and Bo
Page 3 and 4: News Highlights
Page 5: Learning disability inpatient servi

involve Issue 12 Summer 2012 - Surrey and Borders Partnership ...

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