A mental health road tour providing dementia information and guidance is set to come to Burnham-On-Sea during a tour of Somerset.
The Dementia Wellbeing Service Roadshow is being run between March and June, with local people invited to come along by organisers Somerset Integrated Care System (ICS).
Somerset has one of the oldest populations in the country and numbers of people over 65 being diagnosed with dementia are growing faster than the national average.
An ICS spokesperson says: “We are hosting the free roadshow to provide advice and support for those living with dementia and their carers and to help launch the new Somerset Dementia Wellbeing Service.”
“The Service has been developed by those with lived experience of dementia and their carers, the voluntary sector, NHS Somerset, Somerset County Council and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.”
As part of the new service, ICS is doing the following:
- They are holding a roadshow with events around the county to showcase options available to support people with dementia and their carers, and to give people an opportunity to experience a free mobile dementia simulator experience on the Somerset Dementia Bus (please see dates and venues below).
- They have doubled the number of Dementia Support Workers (provided by the Alzheimer’s Society and funded by NHS Somerset), in Somerset so that every person diagnosed with dementia can be connected with support in the community and guided through their next steps.
- Have commissioned a localised version of the Dementia Connect phoneline, 01458 251541, to connect people directly with the Dementia Support Workers team who can offer information and practical guidance to help people understand the condition, cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future.
- Will be launching a new website to connect people with local dementia services and resources.
Here are the Somerset Dementia Wellbeing Service roadshow locations and dates (10am-4pm each day):
March 20 – Flook House, Belvedere Road, Taunton
March 28 – Royal British Legion Club, Street
April 4 – The Princess Theatre, Burnham-On-Sea
April Friday 14- Minehead Methodist Hall
April 20- Victoria Park Community Centre, Bridgwater
May 12 – The Edgar Hall, Somerton
May 16 – The Bennett Community Centre, Frome
May 22- Wells Town Hall
June 2 – Cheddar Village Hall
Cindy Furse, VCSE Dementia Partnership Coordinator for Spark Somerset, adds: “This project has seen dementia support organisations across Somerset working together in new ways with NHS Somerset and Somerset County Council to deliver joined up services for those living with dementia, their families and carers.”
Cllr Heather Shearer, Somerset County Council Executive Lead Member for Adult Social Care, said: “With an aging population and rural geography, Somerset’s health, social care, and voluntary and community services know how important providing support around dementia is.
“The Dementia Wellbeing Service is a welcome initiative. The roadshows will help raise awareness of the support that is available for those diagnosed with dementia and their loved ones, and the additional support workers and localised helpline can help people cope with the challenges that living with dementia presents.”
Somerset GP and NHS Somerset clinical lead for dementia, Dr Peter Bagshaw, said: “We know what a stressful time it is for people and their families when they are diagnosed with dementia. We want to ensure that when people receive a dementia diagnosis in Somerset, they will be able to access the right support at the earliest opportunity.
