Dementia

Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of progressive disorders affecting the brain, the most common of which are Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. It is more common in those over 65 years of age but can occur in younger people.

Dementia results in a progressive decline in multiple areas of function, including memory, reasoning, communication skills and the skills needed to carry out daily activities. Some people may also develop behavioural and psychological symptoms such as depression, psychosis, aggression, and eating problems, which can challenge the skills and capacity of carers and services. 

It is important to remember you are not alone, over 800,000 people in the UK have dementia.

Health and Care Dementia Strategy

Along with health and care partners, we have developed a ten-year Health and Care Dementia Strategy (pdf, 4.5 MB). Consultation on this strategy ran between 9 November and 21 December 2022, where we asked people to have their say on areas of focus designed to support those living with dementia and their carers across Richmond.

The Richmond Health and Care Dementia Strategy captures the existing framework of services provision in one place to demonstrate the choice and range of services available to those with dementia and their carers and brings together relevant elements of different strategies to show how it will develop over the next ten years.

The strategy captures how service provision available to those with dementia and their carers in Richmond will further develop over the next 2, 5 and 10 years. It looks at all aspects of dementia care and services, from prevention to end of life care, to ensure that Richmond residents affected by dementia live well throughout their lives with the right support and care. The framework of the Richmond Health and Care Dementia Strategy focuses on the following five priority phases:

• Priority phase 1 - Preventing and reducing risk of dementia
• Priority phase 2 - Diagnosing dementia well
• Priority phase 3 - Supporting after diagnosis
• Priority phase 4 - Enabling a fulfilling life with dementia
• Priority phase 5 - Ensuring dignity and comfort for those dying with dementia

Dementia services directory

This directory is a valuable resource which gives information on local and national dementia support services and resources. It also provides a prompt for when you start to think and talk about what matters to you to live well with dementia. It may help you to discuss and consider your wishes and plans for the future.

View the Dementia Services Directory (pdf, 5.2 MB)

Dementia prevention and risk reduction  

Evidence suggests that:

• Having adequate physical activity,
• Controlling type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure,
• Stopping smoking, and
• Reducing alcohol consumption may help to reduce someone’s risk of developing dementia.

In addition, there are other things we can do throughout life to help reduce the risk of developing dementia, including being socially active and keeping your brain active too. The earlier in life that healthy changes are made, the greater the likelihood of reducing the risk of dementia, disability, and frailty. 

View what you can do to lower your risk of developing dementia in the future.

Dementia Friendly Communities

Age UK Richmond coordinates the activities of Dementia Friendly Communities in the borough in partnership with Richmond Council. Age UK intends to work with people living with dementia, organisations and businesses to achieve the aims of The Dementia Friendly Communities programme.

We are encouraging people affected by dementia or organisations and businesses who are keen to become more dementia friendly to sign up to the Dementia Friendly initiative.

To sign up contact Marie-Therese Keegan at mt.keegan@ageukrichmond.org.uk or 020 8744 1965.

Further information can be found at Age UK Richmond.

Woodville Day Centre

Woodville Centre is a council run specialist day centre for adults aged 60 plus who have been diagnosed with moderate to severe dementia.

We provide care in a safe, secure and relaxing environment. We focus on sensory stimulation and combine services to help individuals stay independent as possible for as long as possible. CarePlace has more information about the Woodville Day Centre. 

Richmond Dementia COVID-19 report

This report outlines emerging local learning and makes recommendations about improvements to meet the changing landscape across prevention, diagnosis, and care of dementia in the context of COVID-19.

View Richmond Dementia COVID-19 report (pdf, 13.6 MB)

Further information

More information on dementia and dementia services is available on our Careplace directory.

Find Social Care services