Tackling Dementia in Northumberland

All of us know a family member who suffers from this terrible disease: as I discussed with my Haltwhistle constituents, at the Haltwhistle Dementia Support group last week, I am acutely aware of its impact, the loss of dignity, and the difficulties faced by the carers.
But there is beginning to develop a number of ways in which I see a difference being made across the Tyne valley: examples are as follows.
- I have been involved with the Corbridge communities efforts to become completely dementia friendly and to provide assisted walks and activities for some time. Led by councillor Melvyn Stone I trained to become a dementia friend last year.
More details here: http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mp-joins-assisted-walk-corbridge-7621737
- last week I was lucky enough to spend time with the Haltwhistle Dementia support group and provide answers to their questions on how we provide ongoing support, medical services, and Howe tackle respite care whilst being at the very far end of Northumberland. The integration of Northumbria NHS with North Cumbria will clearly make a massive difference so that we are no longer at the end of the line but much more at the heart of the medical provision that exists in the true north.
- and I was lucky enough to join the team from Chrysalis in Hexham who do a fantastic job fundraising and supporting the local community at the Torch Centre. I helped open their new garden and got my hands dirty picking potatoes in a good cause.
http://www.newsprints.co.uk/view/0/31620206/t401594%20chrysalis%20garden_jpg

Going forward there is no doubt that we need to learn best practice from each other, get local councils and communities on board, and engage with the local GPs and clinical commissioning groups to ensure that these services are genuinely recognised and supported. There is, as we discussed as well in Haltwhistle, a lot more to do to provide respite care.

Dementia Funding announcement is very good news

My campaigning has been going for some time - and we are particularly active in helping the Dementia Friends campaign in Corbridge
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mp-joins-assisted-walk-corbridge-7621737

 

Today the Prime Minister is announcing a multi-million pound fund to tackle dementia – money we can only afford to spend because of careful management of the nation’s finances. Britain has led the global battle against dementia – a disease that steals lives and tears at the heart of families. 

This week sees the next stage of that battle as today we announce new funding to help drive forward the search for drugs to beat dementia. The government will commit £15 million to help kick-start a fund and attract the private sector investment needed for this crucial work. You can only fund something as important as healthcare if you have a strong economy to underpin it.  

Busy Friday Morning - breakfast at Number 10, BBC Radio Newcastle at 9 & Euro Referendum Bill from 9.45

On the radio I will be discussing Dementia and the huge strides we are making in tackling this disease, both nationally and locally, working in partnership with the Alzheimer's Society and innovative councils like the Corbridge Parish Council.
I recently took part in a dementia friend training day and an assisted walk in Corbridge. Details here:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mp-joins-assisted-walk-corbridge-7621737

Corbridge Memory Cafe to open Thursday October 16th - another Dementia first for Corbridge

Delighted that the amazing work of Councillor Melvyn Stone and the Corbridge Parish Council are getting the recognition they deserve with further coverage in last weeks Courant of this innovative idea; this is an another example of why Corbridge is leading the way in Dementia awareness.
The official opening is next Thursday October 16th from 10.30-12.30 in the Parish Hall.
I will also be taking part in a BBC Radio Newcastle Dementia Discussion at 9am on the Friday 17th October.
Sadly I cannot go to the Corbridge opening next Thursday as I have a 5 day week in parliament next week, before coming home late Friday night; the radio programme I will record from the BBC Radio "bunker" live in Millbank, on the river in London.

Dementia Friends Event this Friday in Corbridge

Corbridge is leading the way in the North in showing how a village can both cope with dementia and support local people who are suffering from this terrible disease. I have met with many of the local councillors and supporters and professional organisations in May and previously so I am delighted we are doing this follow up.

So this Friday I will be going to The Dyvels in Corbridge and taking part in a Dementia Friends Supported Walk to begin at 11am, for 1 hour.

Attendees include: Cllr Melvyn Stone, Corbridge Parish Council, who has been leading on the Corbridge project, Lorraine Oliver, North Country Leisure, Representatives from Barclays Bank, Cllr Jean Fearon,Amy Syron-Mallenby – Alzheimer’s Society, and Cllr Maurice Hodgson – Chair Corbridge Parish Council.
There will also be many members of the public and several dementia sufferers coming too. I am told the walks are very popular. The walk will be a gentle walk along the river bank, around the cricket ground, finishing back at the Dyvels.

Thereafter we are having a Dementia Friends session at The Dyvels for an hour or so
Melyvn will deliver the session, which aims to help people understand five key facts about dementia using a range of interactive activities and analogies. Melvyn will aim to keep the session quite short, which should allow time for questions and discussion. If you are interested, are a carer, or simply keen to help or understand better I urge you to come along.

Dementia Awareness Week this coming - I am doing my bit and I urge you to get involved

There are 4,844 good reasons why each and everyone one of us in the Tyne Valley should get involved in Dementia Awareness Week, which runs from 18th-24th May.

I say this because that is the number of people in Northumberland who are currently living with dementia. One in three people over the age of 65 will develop dementia, and as a local MP, all too often I see first-hand the devastating impact the condition has - not only the person with dementia but their family, friends and carers too. The fact that there are more and more people locally who are living with dementia puts into perspective why there is a duty on us all, and society as a whole, to act.

Across the UK, on average less than half of those people have received a diagnosis. Diagnosis is the key that unlocks access to support services. There are many reasons why people may afraid to ask their GP for a diagnosis. They may feel scared, confused or even ashamed. But the sooner they know what they're dealing with, the sooner they can get on with their life and feel in control again.

That’s why Alzheimer’s Society – the charity behind Dementia Awareness Week – is using the week to encourage people to 'open up' and talk. They want anyone who is concerned to talk to their doctor, their family, but also to come and talk to Alzheimer's Society. I’m doing my bit for Dementia Awareness Week in Corbridge this week, and that is why I’m challenging readers to do the same.

A whole host of activities will be taking place across th region to make people aware of the help and support that is on offer if they are worried about their memory, or that of a loved one.

From becoming a Dementia Friend to spreading the word on social media, there are lots of small ways that we can all make a big difference for people in our local community this Dementia Awareness Week. Corbridge is leading the way as I will be seeing this week but other communities need to follow suit. There is much that we can do locally. There is much that you personally can do.

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Dementia Awareness Week 2014 runs from 18-24 May. Find out more at alzheimers.org.uk/daw2014. If you have any concerns about dementia, you can call Alzheimer’s Society’s National Dementia Helpline for confidential advice, information and support on 0300 222 11 22. You can also email enquiries to helpline@alzheimers.org.uk

Uk is hosting the Dementia Summit of the G8 countries this Wednesday

Full details of this Wednesdays event which aims to develop co-ordinated global action on dementia here:http://dementiachallenge.dh.gov.uk/category/g8-dementia-summit/
Whilst applauding the work being done nationally it is also right to highlight the great work being done in the Tynedale area. This is only some of the services available, but this was kindly provided by Rob Stewart of the Alzheimers Society.


Dementia Adviser
The Dementia Adviser Service provides information, advice and signposting to people worried about their memory, going through the process of getting a diagnosis and those recently diagnosed with dementia. The service is also available to families and carers of people with dementia. The service provides information and signposting relating to diagnosis, legal affairs, Power of Attorney, benefits, wills, assistive technology and services available in the area. It also involves liaison with multi-disciplinary agencies within the locality to raise awareness and promote further understanding and knowledge of dementia, significant developments and strategies.

Dementia Support Service
Following on from the Dementia Adviser the Dementia Support Worker offers ongoing personalised practical and emotional support and information for those living with dementia and/or for the families and carers of people with dementia. They support people to have a better understanding of the condition and its progression; maintain their independence; to enable people to talk through their concerns with someone who understands the condition; to offer coping strategies that will enable carers to adapt to the changing needs of the person they care for; to know what appropriate services are available to them as well as how to access them and to assist in accessing these services if requested.

Carers Support Group – monthly
This support group is an opportunity for carers of a person with dementia to meet together in a relaxed, friendly environment to discuss their caring role and its impact on them as individuals. The group aims to address dementia related issues as well as sharing coping strategies and providing emotional support and encouragement amongst peers. Personal experiences of health and social care services are shared, as well as signposting to these and other relevant services

Singing for the Brain – monthly
This lively, fun, stimulating activity is planned to incorporate social interaction, engagement and active participation for people in the early to moderate stages of dementia and their carers. The group is supported by volunteers and provides refreshments at no cost to the service user.

Dementia Café – monthly
There are 2 Dementia Café’s, one in Hexham and one in Ponteland. The cafes provide an opportunity for people with dementia, their carers, families and friends to socialise and to receive peer support from each other. Support and information is provided by the Dementia Support Worker and guest speakers will be invited to talk on topics of interest to the people attending. The emphasis is on information, support and to help people feel less isolated. The group is supported by volunteers and provides refreshments at no cost to the service user.

Good news on Dementia care and treatment

I am increasingly impressed with reports of innovative research into treatment of dementia: researchers say a new drug has shown some promise in patients with mild dementia, and might be yet more effective if given to those at risk of disease long before they show any symptoms. The papers have reported the findings of Dr Eric Karran, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, who said scientists were “full of hope” that a breakthrough in drug therapy to prevent dementia could come within five years.

If further trials on the drug succeed, it could mean that those with a family history of dementia are given monthly injections of the drug a decade before any signs of disease show - in the same way that millions of people now take statins to ward off heart disease, he said. The world is really focusing on demnetia care, with the G8 summit next week on dementia, and the department of health, charities and support organisations that we have in the North East are playing their part.

Dr Karran said trials have suggested that a drug called solamezumab may delay the onset of disease, halting problems with brain function and behaviour in those with mild dementia; analysis examined the impact of the drug on those with mild dementia and researchers found it had an effect both on their daily behaviour and the functioning of their brain and memory.

Now researchers in the US are developing these trials - which if they work would lead to a likely preemptive prescription. The reality is that changes in the brain associated with dementia occur as far as a decade before symptoms are shown. Noone wants to hail a false dawn but this is defintely good news. It is also a good time to record the amazing work done by our many charities locally from Age UK to the work of the Dementia Friends.
I have heard great reports of the work that the Tynedale Alzheimers Support group do and they can be contacted locally at:
Office 4, Hexham and Tynedale Community Centre,  Gilesgate, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3NP
Tel: 01434 607 318; Email: hexham@alzheimers.org.uk
and anyone concerned should contact them as a first point of reference. All of us will have to deal with this illness in some way or form and greater knowledge and support is a great start.

More details on this story here: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/unprecedented-breakthrough-in-the-hunt-for-a-dementia-drug-within-five-years-8983378.html

G8 to discuss care of Dementia as UK dementia map also launched

David Cameron will next month host a summit of ministers from the G8 nations to discuss dementia care. It is hoped that this event will see the start of a drive to change attitudes towards the condition.

We want to tackle the stigma that still surrounds this disease — and make dementia a “normal” disease we talk about, cope with and confront openly.
On Thursday parliament held a brief debate on dementia. Due to other commitments I was not able to speak but noted the recent comments of Jeremy Hunt, who said:

“With advances in medical science, the commitment of governments across the world and a willingness from everyone to change attitudes, we truly can be the generation that beats dementia.”

My conservative colleague Tracey Crouch, spoke in the debate, saying that improving the treatment of sufferers needs “a change in the language that we use when talking about care”.
She said: “If we talked about weekly art lessons, which have been proved to provide an improvement in cognitive function, as a therapy rather than an activity then we could hope to see a change in attitude towards research in this area.”

This week the Health Secretary also launched a dementia map identifying the differences in diagnosis across the country:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10482464/Dementia-map-how-diagnosis-rates-vary-across-England.html
Locally in Tynedale we have outstanding dementia care but over the next year we should be seeing how we can do better.