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Local MP visits innovative dementia service in Sutton
Tom Brake the MP for Carshalton and Wallington has visited an innovative new service for people with dementia in Sutton. The service is run by the Avenues Trust Group, following the launch of a dementia service in the Sutton area last year which is already seeing some very positive results and feedback.
Mr Brake visited on Friday 6th January to meet some of the people who have teamed up to jointly use their social care direct payments to pay for the support they receive. The group used to use a local day care centre and pooling their money together like this means the group can get more support and stay together. Mr Brake joined the group in a game of bowls and as a cyclist himself, got chatting with a lady who used to be a keen cyclist and once rode to Brighton and back.
Lesley Knight is the manager of Avenues’ Dementia Service. Together with Avenues’ Chief Executive Steve James, she spoke to Mr Brake about how well the new service was working in Sutton: “It was great for Tom to see first hand the success of this particular service. It’s quite a new idea for people to get together to use their money like this and they’re all seeing the benefits. The dementia services we offer in Sutton have proved a great success so far. We also provide one-to-one support to people, in their own homes, working on their memory skills, and engaging with them to help them regain or retain skills to improve their independence, and supporting them to go out and about in their communities.”
