Community Dementia Liaison Service

The community dementia liaison service (CDLS) works alongside other services such as GPs, intermediate care teams, social services, community mental health and other community services, as well as services provided by the voluntary sector.

We also offer expert advice and support to other healthcare professionals involved in your care.

We aim to improve general well-being and quality of life to those at risk of losing their independence, prevent hospital admission and readmission. We also assist hospital staff to ensure safe, timely discharge plans are in place.

The CDLS team

Our team includes:

A registered nurse who can provide advice: will offer emotional support to you and your family and/or carers, while addressing any physical health issues.

An occupational therapist: will provide specialist advice about helping you to stay as independent as possible and will help you to continue to engage in activities that are important to you. They can provide equipment, adaptations and advice to help make every day activities easier for you to achieve.

Our service

The community dementia liaison service provides:

• Care for you and your family/carers.
• Home visits to assess and discuss your personal and carer needs.
• Advice on symptom issues.
• Time for you, your family/carers to talk through your thoughts and feelings and how to develop coping strategies.
• Help make future plans.
• Access packages of care.
• Working in partnership to reduce hospital admission/readmission.
• Signposting and referral to local support services.
• Support you by talking (with your consent) to other health professionals involved in your care, such as your GP, District Nurse, hospital consultant, specialist nurses and social services. 
• Ensure crisis and contingency plans are in place.
• We can also provide tailored dementia training to families/carers, health professionals.

What can’t we do?

• Regular planned visits for personal care, medication prompts, shopping, domestic chores, collecting prescriptions.
• Memory assessments/diagnosis.
• Medication reviews.
• If the reason for your referral does not match our criteria, we will signpost you to the right service.

Being referred to our service

Referrals are only accepted through the Single Point of Access (SPA) from yourself, your family and/or carers or your healthcare professional.

You will be contacted within two working days of receiving your referral and we will make an appointment to visit at your home and at your convenience within five working days (depending on the urgency reason for referral) for an assessment and then formulate a support plan, sharing information with relevant parties with your consent.

Contact us

Ask for the community dementia liaison service