Dementia service launched by Derbyshire County Council

A new service has been launched across the county aimed at supporting people with dementia and those who are worried about their memory.

The new Dementia Support Service has been launched by Derbyshire County Council in partnership with the NHS and is also aimed at supporting the families and carers of people with dementia and people coming to terms with a diagnosis of dementia.

There are currently around 3,250 people in Derbyshire who have been diagnosed with dementia and there may be more than 6,000 people living in the county who have dementia but are not diagnosed. By 2015 it is estimated that there will be around 11,000 people living with dementia in Derbyshire.

The new Dementia Support Service will be run on behalf of the county council and health by the Alzheimer’s Society.

As part of the service, a team of specialist dementia support workers will be available to provide a range of specialist and practical support, information and advice to people as well as guiding them towards services to suit their individual needs.

Anyone who is registered with a Derbyshire GP or is a carer or relative of a person registered with a Derbyshire GP can use the service directly and people will also be referred in a number of ways, including through Community Mental Health services or the Memory Assessment Service.

There is also a wealth of information on the county council’s website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/dementia to highlight what the service has to offer.

This includes information, searchable by area, about befriending services, carer support, day services, health and social care services, memory cafes, social activities and transport.

The Alzheimer’s Society is currently looking for suitable venues across Derbyshire to hold new monthly memory cafes, carer support groups and information programmes in addition to the ones it already runs.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care Councillor Charles Jones said: “We’re working hard to ensure that there are a range of top quality services for people with dementia, people who are worried about their memory and their families.

“The new Dementia Support Service which we have developed with health will benefit people across the county who are already living with dementia, those who have just been diagnosed and those who need encouraging to seek help so they can get an early diagnosis.

“It will be much easier for people to find services which can support them and also know that help is on hand as and when they need it.”

The specialist dementia support workers are in two teams, one covering the north and the other the south of the county.

To contact them call 01246 223366 for the north of the county and 01332 208845 for the south or email: [email protected]