Transforming dementia support in our community
A brand-new dementia centre
Based in a welcoming, purpose-designed community space, this project will offer a new and innovative way of supporting those living with dementia and their family carers across West Berkshire and north Hampshire. It will enable people to access a full range of dementia services, from pre-diagnosis right through the dementia journey. With the aim of bridging the gap between health and social care, it will provide information, training and guidance, enabling people to manage better and to remain well and well-supported at home for as long as possible.
There is an urgent need for a new approach. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, the number of people in this area living with dementia is projected to increase by 50% by 2030. West Berkshire Dementia Hub’s vision is to meet this challenge by providing an enhanced level of support for individuals living with dementia and their family carers, helping to reduce the fear and stigma that surrounds diagnosis and offering positivity and hope instead of abandonment and despair.
The West Berkshire Dementia Hub offers a fantastic opportunity to bring together the array of advice and support services available for people with dementia and their families. It will provide a clear source of guidance from before diagnosis through to support and wellbeing after diagnosis. By embedding our Memory Clinics within the Hub, we aim to be part of a far more seamless experience for our patients and their families. This will have a big impact on dementia care locally and will stimulate innovation going forward.
Peer support, friendship and community
Centred around a café and a courtyard garden, the Hub will be a welcoming community space, combining a full range of dementia services under one roof.
The NHS Memory Assessment clinic will be based within it, alongside support services including one-to-one ‘wayfinding’ to help guide individuals and their families at every stage.
The hub will provide activities focussed on brain health and rehabilitation, access to dementia technology, complementary therapies, legal and welfare advice and, most importantly, peer support and friendship.
Friends, partners & supporters
We’re incredibly grateful to our supporters, partners and friends who are helping deliver the vision for dementia care in West Berkshire, including:
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (community and mental health services provider) is delighted to support the development of the West Berkshire Dementia Hub. As the operator of West Berkshire Community Hospital and the provider of local NHS memory services, we see the huge potential for this development to enhance and integrate services for people living with dementia, their families, carers, the community, and the broader health economy. I am excited to see the fruition of this beautifully designed building in service of people who will benefit from the life-affirming support and sense of community from this innovative new service.