10 March 2008

Planning Day for Dementia Services

A conference to plan dementia services throughout Northern Ireland has been hosted by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

Dementia can affect people of any age, but is most common in older people. One in five people over 80 and one in 20 people over 65 have a form of dementia.

The Trust is responsible for leading the work of the Northern Ireland Dementia Forum for the coming year.

The Northern Ireland Dementia Forum is a multi-professional group, committed to the development and promotion of quality and professional standards in the field of dementia care. The group strives to advance best practice and raise standards through information sharing, research and awareness raising.

Addressing the Forum, Dr Gillian Rankin, Director of Older People and Primary Care for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said: “It is estimated that there are 16,000 people with Dementia in Northern Ireland and this figure is projected to increase to 20,500 by 2017.The Southern Trust is fully committed to supporting the work of the Northern Ireland Dementia Forum. The Trust promotes a culture of user involvement and we strongly believe that the views and experiences of those with dementia and their carers should be considered in planning and developing services. We hope to work in partnership with other agencies throughout the year to ensure that service user’s needs are met in all aspects of dementia care.”

Presentations at the event were from the Northern Ireland Dementia Services Development Centre and the Alzheimer’s Society. A workshop also took place to identify a membership structure, core business and how the Forum can form partnerships with other organisations for the coming year.

For further information on the work of the Northern Ireland Dementia Forum contact Siobhan Donaghy, Chairperson Tel: 028 3741 2428.