Dementia project under threat as funding stopped

Last year, a successful bid for funding from the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund saw the employment of one project worker for 12 months, to find ways in which West Berkshire could become a more dementia-friendly place to live and work.
In June 2014 the Dementia Action Alliance was launched, with the collaboration of many local businesses. The launch was in part a response to an Alzheimer’s Society report which said that less than half the people living with dementia felt part of their community.
The funding for the Newbury-based project worker ended in September, and since then a local group of stakeholders has been attempting to carry on the project.
West Berkshire Council service manager for long term care, Alison Love, said: “Without dedicated co-ordination, the group is struggling to maintain momentum.
“There is a real danger that all the good work and local participation in helping to make West Berkshire a dementia-friendly place to live will be lost.”
The head of adult social care, Tandra Forster, told council members at a Health and Wellbeing Board meeting held in Newbury on Thursday: “Dementia is going to be a big issue for us locally.
“We have an ageing population and the prevalence rates really start to increase. It’s a really important piece of our work.”
The growing issue of dementia was also discussed at a recent meeting of local clinical commissioning groups, held in Thatcham, which identified it as an “under-performing” issue for health care.
A quality scorecard, which identifies performance, noted that in October, only 52.6 per cent of dementia patients had been diagnosed, which is below the diagnosis target of 54.3 per cent for Newbury and District CCG.
It is estimated that in West Berkshire, 1,833 people suffer from dementia and, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, one in three people aged over 65 will develop the condition.
The health and wellbeing board estimated that to keep a project worker for another year would cost around £17,500 but communities director Rachael Wardell said: “The replacement of this funding is unlikely to come.”
West Berkshire Council spokeswoman Peta Stoddart-Crompton said of the initiative: “This was always a time-limited project, but sadly, the Government is not continuing to fund the Dementia Alliance via the PM’s Challenge Fund.
“However, the council is working closely with the alliance to find ways to continue working without that financial support, for example, with the help of volunteers to keep the momentum going.”
The work centres on awareness-raising events within the local community to promote a dementia-friendly environment.