Funding cuts as study finds 2,000 have dementia

ALMOST 2,000 people in Worthing are living with dementia according to figures released by the Alzheimer’s Society this week.
Carers provide huge support to those with AlzheimersCarers provide huge support to those with Alzheimers
Carers provide huge support to those with Alzheimers

The charity, whose latest report also indicates that more than 14,000 are suffering from the condition in West Sussex, say that many of those affected are not living well.

Of all the people surveyed, 61 per cent said they had felt anxious or depressed recently and 43 per cent of people who were looked after by a carer said their carer received no help with their caring role.

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The news comes as West Sussex County Council is cutting funding to the Alzheimer’s Society, which provides the West Sussex Coastal Home Support Respite Service.

Trained home support workers visit the person with dementia for three-hour visits, once or twice a week, giving a break to carers.

The service, which is based in Worthing and has been running for 20 years, supports 70 people with dementia every week.

The cut means that the hourly charge will increase from £7 to £14 on March 1, 2015, and to £20 on July 1.

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Elisa Vaughan, of the Alzheimer’s Society, Sussex, said: “The service supports people living with dementia and gives their carers a short break. Meetings were held to try and change this and Alzheimer’s Society, as a body, also challenged West Sussex County Council’s decision to award to a generic contract.

“The Alzheimer’s Society has given the service a lifeline from voluntary income to sustain the current service and support future development for the service but it will be a fully costed service by the clients in July next year.”

West Sussex County Council said: “We have recently had to change the way we provide respite support at home to make sure that carers across the county can access the same level of support regardless of where they live or the diagnosis of the person they care for.

“Following these changes, we are no longer in a position to provide grant funding for home support service available to people in the Shoreham, Worthing and Littlehampton area. Other funding that we provide to the Alzheimer’s Society is unaffected by this change.”

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By 2015, the Alzheimer’s Society says there will be 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, costing £26 billion a year. Yet, the society says despite these huge costs – two-thirds of which is shouldered by people with dementia, their carers and families – tens of thousands of dementia sufferers are still living without the right support to do everyday tasks like getting dressed, eating and going to the toilet.