How to Design and Scale a Dual Carer–Patient Dementia Programme That Works in Practice
Parallel 6
18 November, 2026 3:30 – 4:40 pmFamily Carer Wellbeing
Debbie Kassas is a Registered Mental Health Nurse with over 15 years’ experience specialising in dementia care, with a focus on education, service development and improving access to support. She has worked in NHS memory assessment services and led county-wide end-of-life dementia education programmes.
Debbie has worked as an Admiral Nurse for over 12 years, previously within East Cheshire Hospice and continuing nationally through the Dementia UK helpline.
Since 2019, she has led dementia services at East Cheshire Hospice, driving significant service expansion and developing an innovative dual carer–patient programme. She manages a multidisciplinary team, contributes to strategic partnerships, and has extensive experience presenting to professionals and carers, including at the UK Dementia Congress.
Sara Jones is a Registered General Nurse with over 10 years’ experience in dementia care and end-of-life practice, with a particular focus on education and service delivery. She has led the implementation of Namaste Care since 2015, supporting services to adopt the model and sharing best practice at local and national conferences.
As a former Admiral Nurse, Sara brings specialist expertise in supporting people living with dementia and their families. Now part of the Specialist Dementia Team at East Cheshire Hospice, she combines structured education with practical, person-centred support for carers.
Sara Jones
Dementia Nurse
East Cheshire Hospice
Sara Jones is a Registered General Nurse with over 10 years’ experience in dementia care and end-of-life practice, with a particular focus on education and service delivery. She has led the implementation of Namaste Care since 2015, supporting services to adopt the model and sharing best practice at local and national conferences.
As a former Admiral Nurse, Sara brings specialist expertise in supporting people living with dementia and their families. Now part of the Specialist Dementia Team at East Cheshire Hospice, she combines structured education with practical, person-centred support for carers.
Summary
This interactive workshop shares learning from a five-year service development that expanded a Dementia Carers Wellbeing Programme (DCWBP) from a hospice-based service into a multi-site community model.
A key feature—and primary innovation—of this programme is its dual delivery model: carers attend structured education while the person they support participates simultaneously in Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) in a separate space. This allows both individuals to benefit directly, while providing carers with meaningful respite.
Originally established in 2016, the service expanded on-site in 2022 (3 to 6 courses annually), before a further five-year pilot in 2024 extended delivery into four additional community locations, increasing provision to 15 courses per year.
Now at the 2.5-year stage, this session will provide a practical framework for designing, delivering and scaling a dementia support programme, sharing real-world learning, challenges and solutions.