Dementia challenge gathers pace

A new website has been launched by the Department of Health in support of the recently revealed dementia challenge, which builds on progress made under the National Dementia Strategy.

The challenge is a programme of work that has the key aims of:

• boosting dementia research
• addressing the quality of dementia care
• increasing public understanding of dementia
• making communities more dementia friendly.

The dementia challenge website carries news, views, comments and details of latest initiatives, training and events.

Over 80,000 people live with dementia in the UK; the number of people with the condition is increasing and diagnosis rates are low.  The challenge sets out a renewed ambition to address these issues more effectively.

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Revealing innovative solutions

Five innovative solutions have been developed to help people living with dementia, following an invitation from the Design Council in partnership with the Department of Health, to create products and services that make life easier and more enjoyable for people with the condition and their carers.

The solutions focus on and around the point of diagnosis, with the aim of being preventative measures that improve the quality of life in the early stages of the disease. They are:

• Trading Times, an online service that matches carers with local businesses for flexible paid work.  The Trading Times website will have a full range of tools and templates to assist both carers and employers.       
• Ode, a fragrance release system designed to stimulate appetite among people with dementia.  The mains powered unit releases three food fragrances a day, and is adjustable to coincide with the user’s mealtimes.
• Grouple, a secure private online social network helping people share the responsibilities of caring for someone with dementia.  
• Dementia Dog, a service providing assistance dogs to people with dementia, helping them lead more fulfilled, independent and stress free lives. 
• Buddi, a wristband personal alarm that people will be happy to wear and can send alerts from anywhere to Buddi’s support services. 

The teams behind the solutions won a share of £360,000 plus professional support to help them develop their ideas.

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