The Dementia Care in Hospitals Program (DCHP) is a model of care to support patient with cognitive impairment and their families while in hospital, linked to the use of an over bedside alert, the Cognitive Impairment Identifier (CII).

The DCHP and CII were developed by Grampians Health (formally Ballarat Health Services) and are now used by health services in Australia to alter staff to memory and thinking difficulties such as dementia, delirium and cognitive impairment.

The CII is endorsed by Dementia Australia as a national symbol for Cognitive Impairment in hospitals.

Organisations who have adopted this model of care in partnership with Grampians Health (formally Ballarat Health Services) have undergone extensive hospital wide education on the CII use and philosophy of care attached to the symbol.

The Dementia Care in Hospitals Program and Cognitive Impairment Identifier are copyright to Grampians Health (formally Ballarat Health Services). Services wishing to use the DCHP and CII must apply to Grampians Health for permission to use this material at the address below. There is no licence fee for the use of the DCHP and CII in Australia.

The DCHP and approved programs based on the DCHP has been introduced to hospitals in Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and Australian Capital Territory.

For more information on the Dementia Care in Hospital Program, including reports, results, access to the eLearning Portal and local health service contacts, please contact:

Associate Professor Mark Yates FRACP
Dementia Care in Hospitals Program
Grampians Health 
Ph: 03 5320 3791
Email: mark.yates@bhs.org.au 

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