Dementia fund unveiled for Surrey communities
A £50,000 fund has been unveiled for Surrey communities to make life better for thousands of people with dementia.
Surrey County Council unveiled the fund today with the launch of Dementia Awareness Week.
The pot of cash will allow groups to put in bids for projects that help people with dementia remain active and independent in their local areas.
The fund has been created by Surrey County Council and three of the county’s newly-formed clinical commissioning groups, which now have responsibility for buying health services – Farnham and North East Hampshire, North West Surrey and Guildford and Waverley.
The initiative is part of a push to ensure Surrey is dementia friendly.
The drive has seen plans for a chain of advice centres unveiled to arm people with information to spot the early signs of the condition.
Dementia advisers have also been mobilised to go into people’s homes to give support, and care homes have been “retro-decorated” with familiar items from the past to trigger memories.
Around 15,000 people in Surrey aged over 65 have dementia.
The figure equates to around one in 13 older people.
Michael Gosling, Surrey County Council cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: “Supporting vulnerable people is at the heart of what we do and this fund gives local groups the chance to help people with dementia stay in their communities in familiar surroundings.”
Coun Gosling said: “It may be a local group laying on activities, a school providing a meeting place or a shop offering help with buying essentials. “Whatever the idea, they will all have the chance to make their local areas even better places for people with dementia to live.”
Bids for up to £5,000 can be made. Application forms can be obtained by emailing: [email protected], calling 01483 519006, or writing to Liz Tracey, Dementia Innovation Fund, Dementia Friendly Surrey, Surrey County Council, Quadrant Court, 35 London Road, Woking GU22 7QQ. Forms will also be available on the Surrey Information Point website at: www.surreyinformationpoint.org.uk
