Agenda item

To receive presentations from the Alzheimer’s Society, the Camberley Care Trust and Lightwater Information for the Vulnerable and Elderly.

Linda Cornelia reported that there were 850,000 dementia sufferers in the UK, but this was predicted to rise to at least 2 million by 2051. Of the 850,000, 40,000 were under 65. The cost of addressing Dementia in the UK was in the region of £26 billion per annum.

There were estimated to be 16,400 dementia sufferers in Surrey, with 2/3rds living in the community.

Alzheimer’s Society - With 2,500 staff and 10,000 volunteers nationally, the Alzheimer’s Society provided 3,000 services across the UK, 70 of which were in Surrey, where the Society operated with 80 staff and 200 volunteers, providing everything from drug support/cafes to activity based services and peer support.

Surrey County Council had launched its Dementia Friendly Surrey drive 3 years ago and was now looking to roll the programme out in all 11 Boroughs.

Dementia Friendly Communities - The Alzheimer’s Society had been contracted, over a 2 year period, to establish Dementia Friendly Communities in every Borough, these being communities who understand what dementia is and the effect that it has on people living with it and their carers.

Dementia Action Alliances - The Society was seeking to develop a Dementia Action Alliance (DAA), that being a network of individual organisations, working together to create an environment where people with dementia and their carers were supported to continue to live independently. The range of organisations included GP surgeries, supermarkets, libraries, garden centres, bus companies and many more, as well as statutory authorities.

DAAs look to raise awareness, engaging different sectors of society to create networks that would enable people to work together for dementia friendly communities that were sustainable. They also looked to put the views and opinions of people with dementia at the heart of consideration and decision making.

In response to Members questions, Paul Evans noted that:

(i)         Although some forms of dementia were hereditary, this was not so in most            cases;

(ii)        There were over 100 types of dementia, including vascular. Some triggers had already been identified, but, whilst the Society spent at least £10 million each year on research, the numbers facing various forms of dementia were rising and research funding overall continued to be severely limited in comparison to that allocated to other conditions;

(iii)       One successful initiative, in Newcastle and Chester involved certain supermarkets having a number of ‘no hurry’ checkouts;

Councillor Mrs Vivienne Chapman welcomed the Dementia Friendly Surrey Initiative and outlined measures being developed in Surrey Heath, including developments at the Windle Valley Centre and the establishment of a Surrey Heath Partnership Board which would lead in the drive to develop a dementia friendly Borough.

Councillor Paul Deach emphasised the importance of good communications and the use of social media to get the message out.

Councillor Rodney Bates encouraged all Members to become Dementia Friends and requested further Member training on dementia.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chairman thanked Linda Cornelia and Paul Evans, encouraging them to present an update to a later meeting and to continue work with organisations in the Borough to achieve a dementia friendly community.

RESOLVED that

(i)      The presentation be noted;

(ii)     Officers be asked to explore further training for both Members and Officers;

(iii)    The Surrey Heath Partnership be encouraged to invite the Alzheimer’s Society to make a presentation to an early future meeting;

(iv)    Officers include an article in a future Heathscene magazine on Dementia Friendly Surrey;

(v)     The Media Team be asked to promote Dementia Friendly Surrey on social media; and

(vi)    The video “Small changes help make a dementia friendly community” be circulated to all Members.