A new service to support people in Calderdale living with dementia will launch in April.
The Calderdale Dementia Hub will offer information and advice for adults of any age diagnosed with dementia and their friends, family and carers, to ensure people in the Calderdale community have access to wide-ranging dementia information and advice.
The free service will be delivered by non-profit wellbeing provider, Community Links, part of the Inspire North group, in partnership with Age UK Calderdale & Kirklees.
It has been commissioned by Calderdale Council and will launch on the 1st of April for three years initially.
Jenny Macleod, Operational Manager at Calderdale Dementia Hub, said:
“The Calderdale Dementia Hub will help people in Calderdale to live well with dementia. The service will provide comprehensive post-diagnosis information and signposting through one-to-one appointments via phone or home visits and group work for both those living with dementia and their carers.
“Anyone living with dementia in the Calderdale area can access the service. We will discuss their individual situation and help them to access the most appropriate support.
“The Calderdale Dementia Hub will also work with partners to support the local area through facilitating community engagement sessions and awareness raising activities in order to create a dementia friendly borough”.
She explained: “Anyone living in Calderdale can be referred to the Calderdale Dementia Hub through the SWYPFT Memory Service, a health professional, or they can self-refer via the soon-to-be-launched Calderdale Dementia Hub website.
“The website will provide key contact information, address concerns that may occur throughout the dementia journey, and list community events.”
Lisa Butland, Chief Executive at Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees, commented:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Community Links to support people living with dementia and their families and carers.
“We already provide services tailored for people living with dementia and this will allow us to help more people. Dementia can affect 1 in 14 people aged over 65, which is around 40,200 people in Calderdale; and 1 in 6 people aged over 80 which is 17% of the population.”
The launch of the Calderdale Dementia Hub follows the success of its sister service, The Kirklees Dementia Hub, which has provided dementia information, support and advice to the Kirklees community since 2017.
Lauren Dowie, Hub Coordinator at Community Links, said:
“Since we started the Kirklees Dementia Hub in 2017, our referrals have increased by almost 400%. This shows there is a real need for this type of service and that the referral pathway is effective in ensuring as many people as possible receive post-diagnostic information, advice and access to appropriate support at the earliest opportunity.”
Ruth Kettle, CE at Inspire North, said:
“We are extremely proud to be building on the success of the Kirklees Dementia Hub to launch this invaluable service in the Calderdale area.
“Over the next three years, The Calderdale Dementia Hub will not only provide information to improve the lives of those affected by dementia, but also collaborate with the local community to promote a culture of understanding and empowerment around dementia.”
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For more information, to learn about how to help your business, service or home become dementia friendly, to obtain quotes or to arrange an interview, please contact Alex Mason, PR consultant to Inspire North. Email alex@alexdmasonpr.com or call 07983 726 119.
Published on March 31, 2022