Cheshire East Council has launched a new service to help people living with dementia as soon as they are diagnosed.
The Dementia Reablement Service (DRS) offers a planned, bespoke service with a strong emphasis on enabling people with early dementia to remain independent and live safely and securely in their homes.
The DRS will meet the individual and their families or carers to develop a personalised plan based on their needs and aspirations.
People with dementia and their carers are offered:
• Information, guidance and specialist interventions and techniques to maintain good brain function;
• Advice on IT and assistive technology to aid self-reliance and slow down the progression of the condition;
• Access to new and innovative technologies that can be used, including apps designed to assist people with dementia; and
• Support for carers to access peer support networks, reducing the risk of social isolation and family crisis.
People who can benefit from the service will be referred by the local memory clinics. There will no charge for this service.
Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “Cheshire East Council is leading the way in providing support as early as possible to people diagnosed with dementia and engaging with those close to them.
“The number of people aged 65 or over living with dementia in Cheshire East is expected to rise by more than 40 per cent by 2030.
“The Dementia Reablement Service is taking an innovative approach to ensure that people with dementia and their carers get help and support to enable them to learn to live with their condition.”
“This is another example of the Council engaging with people, listening to their needs and drawing on their expertise.
“We have taken a fresh look at the way services are commissioned and developed a new way of doing things that puts the needs of residents first.”
Brenda Smith, Cheshire East Council’s Director of Adult Social Care and Independent Living, said: “Every person who has a diagnosis of dementia is different. Every one of them is an individual and that is why we are developing a bespoke service.
“This service has been designed to deliver a range of tailored support for people to learn how to adapt to their condition and will give them the confidence to lead as active a life as possible and give carers reassurance in supporting their loved ones to remain as independent as possible.”
The DRS is delivered in partnership with local clinical commissioning groups and will link to existing dementia support organisations and campaigns.
For more information visit: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/dementiareablement
The service is a 12-month pilot project funded by the Council and will be officially launched at Sandbach Town Hall on May 18, the start of Dementia Awareness Week.
The DRS will be underpinned by the work of the Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia coordinator to assist businesses, organisations and other professional agencies to make sure that Cheshire East is dementia friendly.
The Faculty of Education, Health and Community at Liverpool John Moores University, which is part of the Europe-wide Innovate Dementia project, has been appointed by the Council to evaluate the benefits and outcomes from the new service.
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