New funding and staff training announced for dementia care in Cumbria

Dementia care homes in Cumbria will be able to apply for grants from their local authority in order to secure essential refurbishments, necessary in bringing facilities up-to-date with current regulations, as well as help in staff training and development thanks to a £1m investment.

Grants of up to £20,000 can be secured for improvements such as lighting, decoration, signage and furniture, providing that care homes can demonstrate the renovation is tailored towards the needs of residents diagnosed with dementia.

The council has recognised the need to upgrade care home services in preparation for the growing numbers of people will dementia, estimating the 7,000 people living with the condition in Cumbria at the moment to almost double in the next two decades.

Having considered a number of care home closures, a Cumbria County Council public consultation eventually concluded that refurbishing current accommodations would be preferable – with the exception of Woodlands care home in Distington – although, in commenting on the new investment, councillor and cabinet member for adult social care James Airey stressed that private sector involvement remains crucial in moving forwards.

“This is a major investment which will benefit the county for many years and we hope as many independent residential care homes as possible apply for a grant – it’s key that we work with the private sector.

“In Cumbria we're facing the challenge of an ageing population and an increase in those diagnosed with dementia. We want to support people to remain in their own homes where appropriate and improve access to specialist care for those most in need.

“A safe, well designed living environment, either at home or in residential care, is a key part of providing the best care for people with dementia.”

Further to the new grants and training programmes, the council has also recruited the expertise of the University of Stirling, who will survey and assess how dementia care services develop and improve over the next two years.