Royal Voluntary Service joins National Dementia Action Alliance

Royal Voluntary Service has become a member of the National Dementia Action Alliance (NDAA) to strengthen its support for people living with dementia in hospitals and the community.

As part of Royal Voluntary Service’s commitment to support the NDAA, it pledges to engage in collaboration and partnerships with other service providers, stakeholders and relevant bodies. This will help raise awareness of the effectiveness of the work of volunteers in hospitals and communities in supporting people living with dementia and their carers to deliver on the NDAA’s Dementia Statements.

Royal Voluntary Service has also set out a plan of action for providing those living with dementia with the best health and social care experiences. This includes providing specialist dementia awareness training to all staff and volunteers working in its home and hospital services. The training programme has been developed with charity Dementia Adventure and thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The charity is also planning for all its staff and volunteers to become Dementia Friends by 2019.

Royal Voluntary Service will encourage all its volunteers to complete the awareness training and is also pledging to make its hospital cafes as dementia friendly as possible through design and refurbishment.

Royal Voluntary Service provides a range of services in hospitals and in the community to support people with dementia. Volunteers run on-ward support including strength and balance sessions and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy programmes, provide support for older people settling back at home after a hospital stay, and run social clubs and activities in local communities including music and memory groups.

"We are very proud to become a member of the National Dementia Action Alliance. By working together with other NDAA members to share expertise, we can make a big difference to those living with dementia both today and in the future. We are committed to ensuring all our staff and volunteers understand and are equipped to help people live well with dementia."

Catherine Johnstone CBE, chief executive, Royal Voluntary Service

"The National Dementia Action Alliance warmly welcomes Royal Voluntary Service as its latest member. The importance of volunteering in supporting people living with dementia and their carers was demonstrated in the update to our Dementia-Friendly Hospitals Charter which now includes an element on volunteering in hospitals. We look forward to working with Royal Voluntary Service to support their work in this and other areas."

Kelly Kaye, Executive Lead for the National Dementia Action Alliance

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