The Triangle of Care, Carers Included: A Guide to Best Practice for Dementia Care (England)
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The Triangle of Care describes a therapeutic relationship between the person with dementia (patient), staff member and carer that promotes safety, supports communication and sustains wellbeing. This guide is aimed at acute hospital wards and services where a person with dementia may be admitted but their dementia is not the reason for their admission.
Key points
- The original Triangle of Care guide was launched in July 2010 by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers (now Carers Trust) and the National Mental Health Development Unit to highlight the need for better involvement of carers and families in the care planning and treatment of people with mental ill-health.
About the resource
The Triangle of Care was developed to address the clear evidence from carers that they need to be listened to and consulted more closely.
In 2013, Carers Trust worked with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to adapt the Triangle of Care to meet the needs of carers of people with dementia when the person they cared for was adapted to a general hospital. A stakeholder day was held where carers, people with dementia and professionals were consulted and provided feedback on the Triangle of Care.
Carers Trust and the RCN worked together in 2016 to update the guide. The latest guide and self-assessment tool were launched in November 2016, this is specifically aimed at acute hospital wards and services where a person with dementia may be admitted but their dementia is not the reason for their admission.
The guide is to enable professionals to look at how they can identify and support carers ensuring that the person with dementia is included and receives the best care outcomes as well as positive outcomes for the carer.
Although the terminology and legislation referred to in this guide applies to England the standards and rationale are applicable across the whole of the UK. We have also included some practice examples from
across the UK.
See also:
- The Triangle of Care Carers Included: A Guide to Best Practice for Dementia Care in Scotland.
- The Triangle of Care Carers Included: A Guide to Best Practice for Dementia Care in Wales.
Tools
- The Triangle of Care, Carers Included: A Guide to Best Practice for Dementia Care.
- Triangle of Care self-assessment tool.