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?

Cumbria County Council is working in partnership with NHS Cumbria and a range of local partners to improve life for people living with dementia and their Carers. -The vision of better dementia support in Cumbria, aligned with the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia, (Department of Health 2012) relies on activity in three priority areas; • Driving improvements in health and care • Creating dementia –friendly communities that understand how to help • Better research into care, cause and cure..

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

Cumbria is England’s second largest county with a population of 494,400 people. The county represents 48% of the land mass in the North West. 51% of Cumbria’s total population live in rural areas. This compares to 19% of the population in England and Wales. 

Cumbria has a slightly higher proportion of older people than the England average. This trend is set to increase over the next 20 years. This means that numbers of people with dementia are expected to rise substantially from about 7,000 in 2010 to nearly 13,000 in 2030. In contrast, there will be a reduction in the numbers of people of working age to care for them. 

Given the range of needs of people and families, the increasing prevalence of dementia and the rural nature of Cumbria, it is critical that we identify and harness all the resources available to tackle the challenge.