Agenda item

In attendance for this item were:

·       Paula Furnival, Strategic Director of People

·       Hannah Perrott, Assistant Director for Communities

·       Dr Shirley Evans, Lead for this work (University of Worcester)

·       Adrian Hardman, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Adult Social Care

Dr Shirley Evans from the association for Dementia Studies, summarised the main points of the presentation included in the agenda. Dementia was a disease of the brain; numbers of sufferers were increasing as well as needs for support.

Dementia meeting centres were based on a research evidence base dating back 20 years, resulted from a collaboration between local stakeholders and were for people with mild to moderate dementia living at home and had a focus on both the person with dementia and the family carer. People attending experienced better self-esteem, feelings of happiness and sense of belonging and family carers felt better able to cope.

Since Covid, there had been ‘an explosion’ of interest across the country, with four new meeting centres being funded in Worcestershire this year.

The Worcestershire Meeting Centre Community Support Programme included £540,000 from Worcestershire County Council, and there were nine centres with up to £20k per meeting centre per year for three years. An Investment Panel met regularly to review progress and investment with the meeting centres, to determine sustainability and access to further funding. A key aspect was to have coverage across Worcestershire.

The Chairman invited questions and the following main points were raised:

·       Panel members agreed the dementia meeting centres were a brilliant idea.

·       A member asked whether the centres reached out to a wide demograph, for example those with less family support and Dr Evans explained that they were required to demonstrate ongoing community engagement, although Covid had had an impact.

·       When asked about prevention work and barriers within the community, Dr Evans referred to the successful Leominster dementia-friendly community, which demonstrated the potential for synergy between a centre and its community. Lockdowns had presented a challenge but dementia friendly communities was an area to be taken forward through training and education.

·       Cllr Denham, who had been involved with dementia centres through her role as Chair of Worcester Dementia Action Alliance asked about the sustainability and capacity of centres, since while she absolutely welcomed the Council’s funding and vision, the work was challenging and the charge, for example £25 a day at the Worcester Centre, could represent good or bad value, depending on an individual’s circumstances.  Regarding capacity, the Strategic Director explained that Covid had presented difficulties however it was important to continue with this programme and from experience, further enrichment would follow.  Whilst day care could cost from £60-80 a day, she acknowledged that it was important not to exclude those for whom £25 was a lot. The Assistant Director for Communities explained that sustainability was an essential part of the work with centres and decisions about where to direct funding. Centres were also being helped to look at economies of scale. Dr Evans added that she was also very aware of sustainability, and that the centre at Droitwich had been sustained for six years, and Leominster for five.

·       The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Adult Social Care explained that the ambition was to link dementia centres to Primary Care Networks.

·       Those involved in Dementia Centres were trained in the preventative role of nutrition, interaction with the community etc.

·       The Panel Chairman agreed the importance of working with organisations to try to keep costs down, something she had been involved with in Bromsgrove.

In thanking everyone present, the Panel Chairman asked whether Panel members could visit a dementia Centre such as the one at Leominster, and it was agreed that this would be organised once Centres were again able to accept visitors.