1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?

Age UK Sheffield staff, volunteers and student social workers on placement provide:

• tailored support for people affected by memory loss, with or without a diagnosis (this includes giving support to the friends and family of those directly affected by memory loss);
• opportunities for people affected by memory loss to participate in peer group activities, such as going to the cinema;

Working with individuals, friends, family and professionals, as appropriate, we facilitate client access to whatever resources, facilities and services they need to maintain independent living and plan for the future.

Age UK Sheffield reaches those living with memory loss through many routes, including self-referral by phone or face-to-face in our city centre shop, or by referral from friends, family or partner organisation.

Our services are funded by contracts or individual paying customers. All of our services support older people living with memory loss. Some are for the exclusive use of those living with memory loss.

Age UK Sheffield devotes substantial resources to working in close partnership with many others across the city to achieve the very best for all older people.

2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?

The primary challenge is the lack of resources available to provide the support needed. Age UK Sheffield works closely with all other service providers to ensure that clients have access to whatever they need. However, significant resources are only available to those with a formal diagnosis and many people with memory loss do not have a formal diagnosis.

Many resources are specifically related to the health impact of the disease. In addition to the health impact, people living with memory loss face the same everyday life problems that everyone else faces although these problems are likely to be further exacerbated by memory loss. Insufficient resources, across the system, are available to assist those with memory loss with everyday living. E.g. if someone is struggling to pay their utility bills because they are on very low income, that problem is that much harder to resolve if they don’t remember whether or not they have made the payment.

Stigmatisation and low expectations for those living with memory loss are a common place and shared by individual older people, friends, family and professionals. If they remain unchallenged, these low expectations inhibit and restrict the options open to people and seriously reduce their quality of life.

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