Dementia First Carer Support Groups

Further Information

Agencies
There are several agencies who as well as providing personal care can provide paid staff for companionship – taking someone out or playing games with them.
Dementia 1st: Providing High-Quality Day Care Services for People Living with Dementia

As an independent charity, Dementia 1st is dedicated to providing high-quality day care services for people with a diagnosis of dementia in East Surrey. We understand the unique challenges that come with living with dementia, and our services are designed to help our clients live fulfilling and engaging lives.

We are proud to work in collaboration with other organisations, such as Home Instead Reigate & Tandridge, who provide home care for elderly people with dementia, working closely with their families, to put the best and most appropriate care plan in place.

Carole said, “this is a great collaboration with Home Instead, as Dementia 1st doesn’t provide home support”.

The two organisations have a shared ethos of providing high-quality care and support for those living with dementia and their loved ones.

Greg Brown, owner of Home Instead Reigate & Tandridge said, “we are most fortunate to have Dementia 1st in our area.”

Several of our Home Instead Care Professionals hold the City & Guilds accredited qualification for dementia care, however, between our home visits it’s the husband, wife, partner or sometimes a family member who provides much of the care.”

Greg and the team regularly recommend Dementia 1st day care services, which are conveniently located in four areas across East Surrey.

Each location is specifically designed to cater to the needs of those with a diagnosis of dementia and provides a full day of activities, including singing, arts and crafts, indoor sports, board games, and weekly exercise classes, as well as a two-course hot meal and refreshments throughout the day.

Carole said, “carers tell us they see more life and animation in their loved ones when they arrive to pick them up and have benefited from a much-needed break themselves”.

More information about Home Instead and Care Professionals.
Moving and Handling Service
This is a FREE service for unpaid Carers from professional OTs, Physios to assess people in their own homes and offer advice re equipment or alterations to assist the carer. For example if you are having to help someone in or out of a car they will look at how you are doing it and suggest ways to protect yourself from back injury and also any equipment which might help. They keep a limited stock of equipment so can often demonstrate and sometimes even loan items for trial. This service is managed by Action for Carers.
Blue Badge
Parking permit for people with physical disability and as of September 2019 ‘hidden’ disabilities such as dementia. www.surreycc.gov.uk/bluebadges
Equipment
Please do take independent professional advice before purchasing any equipment. It is very easy to be tempted by glossy brochures, slick advertisements and salesman (on high rates of commission) into purchasing often quite expensive items which you believe will solve your problem. Contact the Moving and Handling service (see above), ask for a referral to the OT in your local social services team or an independent not for profit service such as VASD (Voluntary Association for Surrey Disabled) who have a shop in Leatherhead 01372 841148 info@vas.org.uk
John’s Campaign
John’s Campaign was founded in November 2014 by Nicci Gerrard and Julia Jones. Behind its simple statement of purpose lies the belief that carers should not just be allowed but should be welcomed and that a collaboration between the patients and all connected with them is crucial to their health and their well-being. John’s Campaign applies to all hospital settings: acute, community, mental health and its principles could extend to all other caring institutions where people are living away from those closest to them. Both Epsom and St Helier Hospitals are signed up to this campaign. Other local NHS Trusts who have committed to this include Croydon (Mayday), Surrey and Sussex (East Surrey Hospital) and St Georges at Tooting.
Useful Contacts:
9 Simple and Effective Online Safety Tips for Seniors:

Social Groups

Contact: Sara Kent - Tel: 07507 783636

List of Services

Singing Groups

List of Services

Support Groups for Carers only

Support Group for Carers’ Relatives

Day Care Services

Financial Information

Lasting Power of Attorney
This is in two parts a) financial and b) health and welfare, really and ideally you need both, some people have an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA)– although it is no longer possible to make one of these, existing ones are still perfectly legal and it is possible to have an EPA for financial matters and to take out a new LPA for health and welfare. If the person with dementia has assets of any type ie property, shares, investments, it is absolutely essential to put in place the legal framework to allow someone else to manage their financial affairs when they lose capacity. Once somebody no longer has the capacity to understand the concept of LPA it will be too late for them to create one. It is possible to create an LPA online through the Office of the Public Guardian however we would always recommend using a solicitor (preferably a member of Solicitors for the Elderly).  https://sfe.legal
Wills 
Should be reviewed – most husbands and wives have what is known as mirror wills – each reflecting the other. This may not be ideal when one person may require full time care, you should discuss this with a solicitor.
Property 
If you and your partner own your property you will probably do so as ‘Joint tenants’ it is worth discussing with your solicitor the advantages of becoming ‘tenants in common’, these discussions should be undertaken at the same time as reviewing your will.
Attendance Allowance 
Non means tested benefit which most people with a diagnosis of dementia will be entitled to. We would recommend phoning for a hard copy of this form (they will try and persuade you to complete online) the telephone number is 0800 731 0122, the form should be dated from the day you phone and will take about a week or more to arrive. You will have six weeks from the date on the form to complete it. The form is quite intrusive and we would not recommend completing it in front of the person concerned.
Council Tax Disregard
This is also non means tested. Once the person with dementia has been awarded attendance allowance you can apply for this from your council which will give the person with dementia a 25% reduction plus possibly a further 25% for the spouse who would then be classed as a single occupier. Council Tax is based on two adults occupying the property, therefore if there are three adults in residence the above would not normally apply.
Social Services
There are local teams based in Reigate and Oxted but the service is managed by Surrey County Council. They can assess for services and equipment to enable people to be cared for in their own homes. Services provided by them are means tested, although not in the case of any service provided to carers. All carers are entitled to a ‘Carers Assessment’ regardless of whether the person they care for is receiving any help. Telephone: 0345 6009 009
Property Disregard
Many carers are concerned that they will have to sell their house if the person they care for is admitted to a care home. When assessing for funding your property is ‘IGNORED’ under the following circumstances:

‘If you enter a care home permanently, your interest in your existing ‘main or only’ home is usually taken into account as capital. However, the value should be disregarded from the financial assessment if you no longer occupy the home but it is still occupied in part or whole, as their main or only home by: 
  • your spouse, partner, former partner or civil partner, except where you are estranged
  • a lone parent who is your estranged or divorced partner
  • a relative of yours, or member of your family, who is: 
  • aged 60 or over, or  
  • a child of yours aged under 18, or ‘incapacitated’. 
They must have been occupying the property before you went into the care home. The disregard lasts until this changes, at which time it may be included in the financial assessment.’  
VAT
Items purchased solely relating to someone’s disability eg. continence supplies, should be zero rated for vat. If you are buying items from a high street shop such as Boots they may not know what you are talking about but persevere. Specialist equipment shops should be very aware of this legislation. Building adaptions and extensions which are being undertaken for health or disability reasons should also be zero rated.
Department for Work & Pensions
Will check you have claimed all the benefits you are entitled to e.g. pension credit if applicable. Telephone: 0345 606 0265