Support for people living with dementia

Care coordinators

If you have a diagnosis of dementia or care for a person with a diagnosis, you should have access to a care coordinator. This person will help you find and manage support.

A care coordinator could be a:

• dementia adviser
• care manager
• social worker
• mental health nurse
• another practitioner involved in your care

Depending on your needs, you could be offered support including information and advice and signposting to other services. You may also get help with assessments:

• needs assessment
• carers assessment
• continuing healthcare assessment

If you are not sure who your coordinator is or you would like support, please call 01344 823220.

Support groups

Bracknell Forest has support groups for people with dementia and their carers including:

• Alzheimer’s Society
• Age Concern
• Signal for Bracknell Forest Carers
• Triple A
• Younger People with Dementia

If you are feeling isolated and not sure what community activities would suit you, our Community Network Team may be able to help. They can support you to identify local activities that you may enjoy and link you with like-minded people. For example they could introduce you to a weekly Ranger Walk at South Hill Park or Tai-Chi sessions in Sandhurst. For more information contact the team by:

• email: network@berkshire.nhs.uk
• phone: 01344 823300

A full list of services are in the dementia directory. 

Online services

These online services could be helpful:

• Bracknell Forest Help Yourself website - helps you to find and connect to lots of useful information and support
• The Alzheimer's Society - advice on assistive technology and how to make your home dementia friendly. 
• Forestcare - telecare solutions for individuals and organizations
• The Herbert Protocol - a new tool to help find vulnerable people if they get lost
• My Care My Home - a care advice service guiding you to the care that’s right for you
• Advocacy Services -  a way for people to be heard, ensuring their rights are protected
• Age UK Berkshire - offers advice and services to combat loneliness and offers practical help in the home
• Translation services are also available

You may also find it useful to read the Our Dementia, Our Rights booklet by the DEEP Network.

Health care services

Hospital care

Our local hospitals have schemes in place that offer more support for people with dementia, during their stay in hospital. These include: 

• the Frimley Health Foundation Trust
• the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
• advice about going into hospital from the Alzheimer's Society
• The British Red Cross - helps people to stay independent and offers support after discharge from hospital and borrow a wheelchair service

GP care

East Berks Clinical Commissioning Group is a clinically led membership group of GP practices that plan, commission and performance-manage a range of local health services for their population. All GP Practices in Bracknell Forest have signed up to our local Dementia Action Alliance and have received Dementia Friends Awareness Sessions.

Online resources

You may also find these online resources helpful:

• dementia guide on the NHS website
• memory service from the Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
• 'This is me’ support tool from the Alzheimer's Society 

If you would like to make a comment or give general feedback on local health care services, please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service  or Healthwatch.

Benefits

People with dementia may be entitled to a range of benefits including:

• personal independent payments if you are under 65
• attendance allowance if you are over 65

There may also be a range of other benefits which may be available - you can browse benefits on GOV.UK. 

Council tax discounts

You may be entitled to a discount on your council tax bill - read more about discounts for disabled people on GOV.UK.

People with severe mental impairment are not counted for council tax purposes  - read our webpage on discounts for people who aren't counted.

Carer benefits

Carers may be entitled to benefits - you can read more about carers allowance on GOV.UK.

Planning for the future

People with dementia can benefit from preparing for the future.

This may include arranging a Lasting Power of Attorney for financial matters and/or health and wellbeing.

They may also want to consider completing a ‘Planning for my Future’ document and a ‘Life Story Book’.

Message in a bottle

Message in a bottle is a simple idea where emergency information is kept in a small plastic bottle. This can then be easily and quickly found by the Emergency Services in an emergency.

If you'd like to do this, the Bracknell Forest Lions Club can help.