News Release, 9 March 2001
The Mental Health Foundation has awarded funds to six pilot sites for a new dementia service development project, the Dementia Advice and Support Service The project aims to fill a gap in services for the many thousands of people in the early stages of dementia living in their own homes by developing an information, advice and support service that will help individuals make decisions about their own finances, future care and other issues at an early stage.
The six pilot sites are in Bangor, Calderdale, Kendal, Nottingham, Glasgow and Winchester, and are managed by a variety of agencies, from local Alzheimer's Societies and Age Concern to social services and a pilot primary care commissioning body. Each pilot site will employ a number of staff who, in partnership with primary care, will make home visits to people with early stages of dementia and their friends or family in order to talk about dementia face to face and discuss the range of services and support available locally. A number of volunteers will be recruited, trained and supported to provide day-to-day emotional, social and practical support inside or outside the home from form-filling to accompanying somebody down the pub.
"Recruiting and developing the pilot sites has been underway since last year," said Jayne Lingard, Mental Health Foundation. "The need for improved services in this area has been recognised by the Government with the recent announcement of Care Direct - but this service specifically targets the person with dementia, hence the importance of face-to-face contact in people's homes, rather than a simpler telephone advice or appointment system. With earlier diagnosis of dementia now possible, and an increasingly elderly population, we hope that the pilots will produce some strong recommendations for the future development of national services. We also expect the pilot projects will illustrate just how effectively service users and carers can be involved in developing and evaluating new models of services."
The need for greater support for people with dementia and their families and friends in the early stages where plans can made and support networks established before a crisis arises was one of the needs highlighted by the recent Audit Commission report, Forget me Not (Audit Commission, 2000). Providing the right advice and support very soon after diagnosis can not only slow down the disabling impact of dementia and delay the need for residential care, but enables the person with dementia to make their own decisions about the future.
An internet-based learning network will run alongside the project with the aim of disseminating the ideas and knowledge required to develop this sort of service.
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For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
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