Tendring Community Assets Full Final Report

24 6.8.2 The biggest risk factor for dementia is age. Older people are more likely to develop the condition, but it is not an inevitable part of ageing. About two in 100 people aged 65 to 69 years have dementia, and this figure rises to 19 in 100 for those aged 85 to 89. 24 Activities that reduce risk and delay rate of deterioration include stopping smoking, taking more physical exercise, keeping mentally active, healthy eating and managing alcohol intake (for some specific types of dementia), so the better the access to support in these areas, the better the prospects. Social isolation and loneliness can result in mental and physical inactivity and poor eating habits, so access to social interaction is important, with one study finding that lonely people have a 64% increased chance of developing clinical dementia. 25 . 6.8.3 There are some sessions are available for people with dementia within the community but provision is patchy and it's hard to find out what and when. This includes a dementia café run weekly in Clacton, a residential home in Jaywick which holds open days and plans to run dementia cognitive sessions, open to all. In Harwich, one residential home is about to start a dementia café for one day per month and in Manningtree, a Community living scheme hosts a monthly Dementia café for people living with dementia and their carers There is very little in the way of short term respite, especially day care to allow carers a few hours to themselves; many of the daytime events for dementia require the carer to remain and supervise. There is a day centre, based with a residential home in Dovercourt, which accepts people with dementia and has additional capacity and a private day care centre in Clacton which offers respite days. Tendring Eldercare offers a range of activities for people with dementia and the transport to support access. 6.8.4 To be able to make an impact on dementia care it is vital that community and voluntary sector, primary and secondary care services work well together as a joined up system. This means GPs making a diagnosis, knowing what is available and referring people on to the support they need. EPUT provides a Memory Assessment Service and a Dementia Access Service, which cover all North East Essex, offering patient appointments and home visits as well as a helpline, group work and cognitive stimulation therapy for older people and younger adults living with dementia. In Tendring, these are based at the Landermere Centre at Clacton Hospital and the Fryatt Hospital in Harwich, as well as being available at King’s Wood Centre in Colchester. For many, much more locally based community support, as outlined above, is needed to complement this. 6.8.5 In undertaking this research, some residential homes indicated that they would be willing and able to offer more support to people living in the community. Crossroads offers a sitting service to give carers a break. Support for carers makes a huge impact on their ability to maintain their caring role. Services need to be relevant and close to home or easily accessible. 6.8.6 The vision of the Essex Dementia Strategy 2017-2021 26 is “The future is one in which: People living with dementia are recognised as unique individuals who are actively shaping their lives and their care whilst being able to remain as physically and emotionally healthy for as long as possible.” To achieve this, organisations need to pull together and empower people with dementia with complete, accurate and understandable information and guidance. The priorities particularly relevant to the community should be prevention (maintaining healthy lifestyles, exercising body and brain and identifying when people are at higher risk); access to good information and advice (including identifying when assessment should be sought), living well with dementia in the community (making communities, services and places dementia friendly) supporting carers (and ensuring that they can live a life as well as caring, and feel positively supported in this) and ensuring that people living with dementia can live well in long-term care . This includes support for people to plan for their end of life, 24 Reducing the risk, Alzheimer’s research UK, July 2017 25 Feelings of loneliness, but not social isolation, predict dementia onset: results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry T J Holwerda et al. 2012 26