New drop-in sessions for islanders with dementia

Charity workers Kay Fussey and Julia Thompson help hold regular activities to help support carers and people with dementia

A new monthly drop-in clinic is being offered by a dementia charity in Guernsey as it reminds people of all of the other services it provides.

The Guernsey Alzheimer’s Association said it was highlighting all that it offered as part of its efforts to mark Dementia Awareness Week.

Kay Fussey, team leader of the charity's older adult mental health services, said the new service was being offered as it noticed a lot of users of its centre had many questions.

There are about 1,200 people with dementia in the bailiwick, according to data from 2021, but the charity said it expected numbers to increase when data was updated.

'Life doesn't stop'

The new sessions were running on the last Friday of every month at The Centre in St Sampson's from 10:00-11:00, staff said.

Ms Fussey said: "It's really an informative place where people can just come and have some of those questions answered without having to go through secondary care or their GP."

She added that more people were expected to have the disease because "we have an ageing population".

She said: "We are finding that we are busy and those [medical] referrals are very steady".

The association said it was hoping to get more up-to-date statistics towards the end of the year.

A number of activities, ranging from sailing, to bowls, were also available to those living with dementia, charity staff said.

Centre manager Julie Thompson said it was to help get people out as "they would just be at home... quite isolated".

She said: "This gives them a lot of stimulation, conversation, having an activity, keeping mobile, making their brains work".