The Alzheimer's Society has launched an emergency appeal for funds so it can continue to help people who may be isolated and without support to eat, wash and take medication.

The charity received nearly 3,300 calls about coronavirus during March – roughly 100 a day. Meanwhile, its online community, Talking Point, saw a 600% increase in sign-ups. 

Kate Lee, the charity's CEO, said "People living with dementia are completely cut off from their families, their communities and the support networks they rely on due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is having a devastating effect on their wellbeing. With your support, Alzheimer’s Society will be there to put a virtual arm around the shoulders of people with dementia and let them know they are not alone".

You can visit the Alzheimer's Society to read the latest advice  for people affected by dementia. Anyone affected by dementia can also call their support line  on  0333 150 3456.

Lambeth Council have also compiled details on some of the support services that are available, to help people and their families who are impacted by dementia during this crisis. This can be found on their website.

Compassion in Dying has published a new resource to support GPs with advance care planning conversations  over the phone or video, in the context of coronavirus.

Publicising the new framework, the charity said that:

"There has never been a more important time to involve people in discussions and decisions about their care. Open and honest advance care planning (ACP) discussions are key to ensuring that people can consider and document what matters to them.

Coronavirus has made having these important discussions more challenging due to social distancing and quarantine measures. Having ACP discussions by phone or video can feel unfamiliar to people and doctors alike, and the GPs we work with told us they want to ensure they are having these discussions as sensitively as possible". 

This framework can be found amongst many other helpful tools on the Compassion in Dying website

The Local Government Association and ADASS have published a briefing on positive practice in adult safeguarding and homelessness.

The purpose of this briefing is to assist senior leaders, such as members of Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs), as well as commissioners, practitioners and operational managers who are working across relevant sectors and agencies in this field, to support people who are homeless and at risk of or experiencing abuse or neglect.

This is a complex area of safeguarding adults’ practice. It requires an integrated whole system response. The intention is that the briefing will support and improve practice and encourage debate about policy and service development.

The briefing includes reference to pathways developed in Lambeth, as well as lessons learnt from SAR Yi.

The full briefing is available to download from the LGA website.

At a time when a lot of people will be thinking through the implications of falling ill to COVID-19, it may be useful to support people to consider what interventions they would not desire to have, should they lose decision-making capacity.

Compassion in Dying have released new information on how to make your wishes known if you get coronavirus.

If you have an opinion about what you would or would not want to happen to you, it’s really important to tell your family and doctor, and write it down. It’s much better to do this now, while you have time to think about it and are able to talk to those close to you than when you are seriously ill.