Tanglewood Care Homes has become the first residential care provider in the UK to become a Join Dementia Research Champion.

Join Dementia Research is a nationwide campaign run by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It allows people from all over the country to register as vital participants into dementia research. Join Dementia Research will help meet the aims of The Prime Minister’s 2020 Dementia Challenge by enabling more volunteers to take part in studies and clinical trials. This in turn will allow better insight into dementia and its causes.

Tanglewood Care Homes is an independent family-run business, which was founded in 1989. It has now become the first residential care provider to pledge a commitment to champion Join Dementia Research. Tanglewood owns and runs five residential care homes across Lincolnshire, in Spalding, Boston, Coningsby, Horncastle, and Alford. To mark the occasion Tanglewood held an official launch event at its Cedar Falls Care Home in Spalding on Wednesday, the 30th of May 2018.

The care home held its monthly Dementia Café for residents and Dementia Forum for relatives of those living with dementia, before launching Tanglewood’s new status as a Join Dementia Research Champion.

Tanglewood members of staff were presented with certificates by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Tanglewood members of staff were presented with certificates by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

 

Five Tanglewood members of staff were presented with certificates by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) thanking them for taking part in vital research with the trust. The five members of Tanglewood staff who received certificates were: Lauren Sharman and Sam Jackson (Cedar Falls, Spalding), Sue Bell (Tanglewood, Horncastle), Mel Hinton (Sandpiper, Alford), and Karl Smith (Toray Pines, Coningsby).

 

LPFT provides specialist health and social care services for people with a learning disability and/or mental health issues. Tirelessly led by the LPFT research delivery team, LPFT was the first whole NHS organisation to become a Join Dementia Research champion. The LPFT research team have now also supported Tanglewood to become Join Dementia Research Champions.

Tracy Ann Shelbourn, Director and founder at Tanglewood Care Homes, said:

“We’re proud to support any initiative that aims to improve the lives of residents living with dementia and the lives of their families. As Join Dementia Research Champions we can help to find a cure for this condition sooner. We felt this year was the right time to sign up, not only because we are huge supporters of this work, but because it also coincides with the 70th birthday of the NHS. It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of one of the nation’s most loved institutions and dedicated staff – and becoming Join Dementia Research champions is our gift to them.” 

Given this new status, Tanglewood is pledging to integrate Join Dementia Research within all areas of its overall provision of care for residents with dementia and the support given to their relatives. As part of this new role, staff will commit to the following:

  • including Join Dementia Research in staff induction and training so that all staff know about it and feel confident to talk to residents and relatives about it
  • displaying information about the service in all of its homes
  • telling all residents and their families about Join Dementia Research so that every relative is given information on a consistent basis

 

Tracy McCranor, Research and Development Coordinator at LPFT, highlighted that:

“The Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) research delivery team have been the driving force to raise awareness of Join Dementia Research in our trust and across the wider county health and social care environment.”

“We have led this work with great enthusiasm and many county residents are now taking part in research as a result of Join Dementia Research. We are very proud to be supporting Tanglewood as JDR Champions,” she added.

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To find out more about Tanglewood visit: www.tanglewoodcarehomes.co.uk, or follow @TWCareHomes on Twitter and @twcarehomes on Instagram, or search for Tanglewood Care Homes on Facebook.

To find out more about Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, please visit: www.lpft.nhs.uk