This Dementia Action Week (15 – 21 May), health chiefs in the Black Country are raising awareness of dementia and the support available.
Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. It can include memory loss, problems with reasoning and communication and a change in personality, which can cause a reduction in a person’s ability to carry out daily activities, such as shopping, washing, dressing and cooking.
Dementia is a progressive condition, so the symptoms will gradually worsen. This progression will vary from person to person, and each will experience dementia differently – people may often have some of the same general symptoms, but the degree to which these affect each person will vary.
To help people living with dementia in Sandwell, a new service has been launched ensure that local people get the support that’s right for them. Funded by Sandwell Council and the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Sandwell Community Dementia Service is a partnership of eight local voluntary sector organisations, providing advice, information, and support to people who are worried about their memory, those who have received a dementia diagnosis and carers or family members of someone living with dementia.
To access the service, people can be referred by their GP, healthcare professional or can self-refer. The service has three dementia navigators who meet people and their families to undertake an initial assessment. If further support is required, the patient will then be assigned a dementia advisor who will provide support along their whole dementia journey, whether that’s seeking a clear diagnosis of a condition, helping people make informed decisions about the care they receive or helping them plan for the future.
Alex Fleming, Dementia Operations Lead for the Sandwell Community Dementia Service, said: “We know what a stressful time it is for people and their families when they are diagnosed with dementia so it’s vital they are able to access the right support at the earliest opportunity.
“The support provided by Sandwell Community Dementia Service is invaluable – it’s designed to help people along their entire dementia journey, whether it’s an initial concern about
someone’s memory through to a diagnosis and after, making sure they get the support that’s right for them.
“Our aim is to provide support tailored to people’s individual needs and enhance their wellbeing, as well as provide coping strategies to assist people and their families. This can be anything from helping people make healthcare appointments, finding them a local activity group so they can socialise with others, or sometimes even just listening to any concerns they have.”
Dr Ananta Dave, Chief Medical Officer for the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, said: “Dementia is not only about memory loss. It can also affect the way you speak, think, feel and behave. It attacks the very things that make us who we are and takes a toll not just on the person living with dementia, but also their carers and family.
“Dementia Action Week provides the perfect opportunity to shine a light on dementia and raise the awareness of the condition so people can come forward if they, or a loved one, needs help. It is also about supporting people from our diverse communities to come forward and seek help for possible dementia.
“It's normal for your memory to be affected by stress, tiredness, certain illnesses, and medicines. But if you're becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you're over the age of 65, it's a good idea to talk to a GP about the early signs of dementia.”
To access the Sandwell Community Dementia Service, people living in Sandwell can be referred by their GP or can self-refer by calling 01902 826 655 or emailing bcicb.dementiasupport@nhs.net. For more information about the Sandwell Community Dementia Service click here.
For more information about dementia and the support available, visit the NHS website here.
Trish’s story
Trish Gracesmith was only 45 when she diagnosed with vascular dementia. Now, the 57-year-old from West Bromwich is talking about her experience of living with dementia and the support she has received from the Sandwell Community Dementia Service.
She said: “When I was at school, I always had a fantastic memory. I never had to do revision, I just had to look at a page and I could memorise it. However, that all changed after I suffered a number of strokes. My first stroke happened in 1999, followed by a major stroke in 2003. I did recover, however I found that my memory was really affected, and I kept forgetting things like appointments or paying for bills, and at times couldn’t remember my children’s names.
“I had a number of small strokes following this and as a result my memory just kept getting worse. I kept telling people I was 40 but I was actually only in my thirties. In 2010, at the age of 45 I was diagnosed with vascular dementia. On top of this, I also started to lose my sight - my vision went completely five years ago and now I’m registered blind.
“Not being able to use visual cues can be really disorientating and it means I have to work hard to try and remember things. I always do silly memory games with myself like trying to remember what’s in the fridge and where it is and then trying to pick it out, to keep my mind active. However, it can be really overwhelming at times and trying to remember names is becoming difficult for me now.
“I was referred to the Sandwell Community Dementia Service by my doctor at Edward Street Hospital at the end of last year and was assigned Elaine as my Dementia Advisor. She has been absolutely brilliant and has helped me try and find ways to cope when I feel overwhelmed. I was struggling to find a suitable activity group to join because of my age, and Elaine found lots of different groups for me to try. I recently had an appointment with my nurse at the hospital and needed to get in touch with them but couldn’t find the phone number and started panicking. I gave Elaine a call and she got in contact with the hospital for me straight away and it was sorted.
“Staying active is really important to me, both physically and mentally. I started doing archery three years ago after doing a taster session for the visually impaired. Ironically, when I could see, I couldn’t hit the side of a bus but now I train three times a week at two clubs. I find that if I miss too many sessions, it’s almost like starting from scratch so I try to make sure that I’m consistent with training. I’m actually representing Great Britain in the World Blind Games which takes place in Birmingham later this year which I’m really proud of.
“Like any condition, I have good days and bad days. Sometimes I wake up and forget who I am, and my biggest worry is my daughter as she gets upset that I might forget about her. However, as long as I get enough contact and speak to her every day, hopefully that won’t happen.
“My Amazon Alexa has a lot to do with how I cope day to day. My partner has connected my calendar to the app so I can just ask Alexa to remind me what I’m supposed to be doing that day and if I have any appointments. It also has an option where you can ask Alexa what you’re holding, and it will tell me what cans or coffee pods I’m holding, so I use that a lot.”
