A new dementia strategy will be considered by the Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet next week.
The Isle of Wight Dementia Strategy sets outs plans to improve the health and well-being of Islanders living with dementia, ensuring that they, and their families and carers are supported.
Partner-led strategy
Local voluntary and community organisations including the Dementia Awareness Partnership, Age UK Isle of Wight, Alzheimer Cafe IOW, Carers IW and Healthwatch Isle of Wight have led on the development of the strategy, helped by many other local organisations including Mountbatten Hospice, Independent Arts and the Alzheimer’s Society.
In addition, the strategy has been shaped by direct input from people living with dementia and their carers. The strategy has been produced by the council in partnership with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and will be adopted by all three organisations.
UK’s largest health and social care challenge
Dementia is fast becoming the UK’s largest health and social care challenge. There is an estimated 2,655 people over the age of 65 living with dementia on the Island and The Alzheimer Society estimates that this figure will increase to 3,920 by 2030.
There are around 15,000 unpaid family and friends caring for people on the Island. Of this, 32.5 per cent of which are caring for someone with dementia.
Strategy themes
There are five main themes to the strategy:
- Preventing Well – minimising the risk of dementia.
- Diagnosing Well – through timely, accurate diagnosis, personalised care planning and review within the first year of diagnosis.
- Supporting Well – People living with dementia and their carers will have support to access safe and high-quality health and social care.
- Living Well – helping people to live full, independent and active lives in safe and accepting communities friendly communities; more flexible respite to meet the needs of people with dementia and their carers.
- Dying Well – helping support people with dementia to die with dignity in a place of their choosing, and support for family and carers before, during and after a person with dementia dies.
Love: Grateful to local organisations for their help
Cllr Karl Love, Cabinet lead for health and social care, said,
“The aim of the new strategy is to improve the experience, trying to make real life difference to Island people living with dementia and for their families.
“Dementia is an unforgiving disease. The emotional impact of having to deal with loss of independence and fears for how it will progress is a frightening, heart-breaking and an unimaginable burden on the affected person and on their family. They are the experts by experience in this condition and we have listened to them and make positive changes where we can.
“This strategy could not have been developed without their views and the help of the local organisations gathering evidence and feedback on the ground and I am extremely grateful to them.”
If approved at Cabinet, the next steps are to develop and put in place a delivery plan for the strategy.
You can view the paper below, appendices can be found on the council’s Website.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
Image: Patrick Doheny under CC BY 2.0
