Service Information

Local Dementia services and support

Dementia services and support in Suffolk

Dementia Intensive Support Team (east) – 01473 891 733

The Dementia Intensive Support Team works with people with dementia or suspected dementia. They will provide you and your family with support in the event of a dementia related crisis, to avoid acute hospital admission.

They can also offer advice and information on dementia and delirium to carers. They also signpost to other organisations that can help care for someone with a dementia.

Community Memory Assessment Service (CMAS) Suffolk – 01473 296 194

Many people experience problems with declining memory. The effects will vary from person to person and may occur for different reasons. CMAS is for people of any age who live in East Suffolk and have been referred by their GP due to concerns about their memory. The primary aim is to confirm or exclude a diagnosis of dementia.

CMAS offers help with the following:

a holistic memory assessment
signposting to other support services
diagnosis or non-diagnosis of dementia
some post diagnostic psychosocial interventions
access to dementia medication if appropriate

Suffolk Social Care / Customer First – 0800 917 1109

Suffolk Social care services can help you if you need practical support due to illness or disability, care for someone because of their illness or disability.

You may benefit from social care if you are finding it harder to live independently in your own home. Also if you are unable to find help yourself, for example from your family and friends or local services or your community.

Suffolk Family Carers – 01473 835 477

A family carer is anybody, of any age, who looks after someone with a long term illness, mental health difficulty or disability who could not cope day to day without this help.

Becoming an unpaid family carer is often a gradual process, like the changes affecting person you care for. The work of caring gradually impacts your daily life, restricting your ability to get time for yourself. Because of this most people see themselves as a ‘wife’, ‘husband’, ‘daughter’, ‘son, ‘brother’, ‘sister’ or ‘friend’, rather than as a family carer.

Not recognising you are a family carer can be a real barrier to accessing the vital support available to you. If this resonates with you please get in touch or register with Suffolk Family Carers, so you can start receiving the support you are entitled to.

Wellbeing Suffolk – 0300 123 1503

The Wellbeing Service is the NHS Talking Therapies provider in Suffolk. Wellbeing offer a whole range of free services to support people with their wellbeing. They also help to overcome difficulties such as stress, anxiety, depression and low mood.

All services are free and available to anyone aged 16 and over living in Suffolk.

Further useful Dementia services and support links in Suffolk:

Dementia services and support in Essex

Colchester Kingswood center – 01206 228 928

If you need information, advice and support with any aspect of dementia, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Dementia Helpline are here to support you.

Colchester Memory assessment service – 01206 228 917

When you attend the Memory Clinic they will try to give you an answer to the questions you have about your memory changes.

Colchester memory Assessment Service offers comprehensive assessment of memory and thinking skills to help you and those around you understand the nature of any changes to your memory.

If you are concerned about your memory please consult your GP surgery first. There are many reasons for changes in memory and thinking skills. Some of these relate to physical health and your doctor can check this for you.

If a problem is identified then we will advise you and your family doctor how best to address the problem. In many cases the Memory Service team will offer you the treatment or intervention that you may need to help with your memory changes.

Colchester Memory Assessment service will only carry out our tests if you wish us to. Those who choose to attend do so because they are concerned about a change in the way that their memory works and worried that this may be serious.

Action For Family Carers – 0300 770 8090
Website: www.affc.org.uk
Email: care@affc.org.uk

Action for Family Carers is an Essex-based charity that has been making a positive difference to lives of unpaid carers for over 30 years.

They believe, with the right support, carers can have the same opportunities in life as others. This may be in education, training, employment or socially.

Action For Family Carers provide Adult Carer support and support for Young Carers. They offer Young Carer club nights and trips as well as whole family support. They also offer counselling, day care and activity groups.

Action For Carers work with employers, GPs and schools to help them provide better support for Carers.

Essex Social Care – 0345 603 7630
Website: www.essex.gov.uk/carers
Email: essex.carers@essex.gov.uk

Essex Social Care can support you if you are finding it difficult to look after yourself or someone that you care for. You can contact them to discuss your care and support needs.

Essex Social Care can provide emotional support, financial support, training and advice such as help with:

disabilities, mental health, dementia, autism, accessible transport, advocacy and end of life care
paying for care and support for carers
eligibility for financial support, financial assessments, personal budgets and direct payments
how to apply for, pay or or renew a Blue Badge
help with meals and shopping
help at home with home adaptations and equipment to stay independent
information on what to do if you have to go into hospital, what happens when you arrive and getting support when you leave hospital

Age Concern Colchester – 01206 368 420

Age Well East (Age Concern) provides advice and information about pensions, benefits, housing and blue badge applications. They also help to keep you safe from cybercrime and fraud.

Their community friendship services offer one to one volunteer friendships, pen friending, groups and activities.

They offer emotional support services by providing crucial wellness support for people living through loss, bereavement, mental health struggles and end of life care.

The specialist team are available to guide people through a dementia diagnosis. They provide ongoing support to people and their carers through the specialist groups and services.

Essex Wellbeing Service – 0300 303 9988
Website: www.essexwellbeingservice.co.uk
Email: provide.essexwellbeing@nhs.net

Further useful Dementia services and support links in Essex: