Four new advice and support centres are set to throw open their doors to help people with dementia as part of plans to establish a network across Surrey.
The new facilities will arm people with all the information they need to spot the early signs of the condition.
And people who already have dementia can visit to get extra support while their carers will be able to take a breather from their duties.
Caterham, Epsom, Walton-on-Thames and Shepperton* will benefit from the new centres over the next six months following the opening of the first in Egham.
All five are part of joint plans to create 11 wellbeing centres to help people with dementia stay in their own homes for longer in what is believed to be the first scheme of its kind in the country.
Organisations involved include Surrey County Council, the county’s 11 borough and district councils, Surrey and Borders NHS Foundation Trust and the Alzheimer’s Society.
Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Michael Gosling said: “Spotting the early signs of dementia is vital because it can lead to a better quality of life and prolonged independence. One of the main blocks to getting an early diagnosis is that memory problems are often put down to a natural part of getting older.
“By going to these jointly-run centres, people can seek help before their condition has deteriorated, which allows them and their families to seek the services they need to plan for full lives in the future.
“In addition, the facilities will be a social hub for those with the condition and give the people who work so tirelessly to care for them some time to recharge the batteries.”
Nearly 600,000 people in the UK have dementia, a disease that causes memory loss, an inability to finish tasks and the loss of speech and mobility.
Article from SurreyCC News
