Dementia services across Sussex: a Healthwatch in Sussex report (July 2023)
Funded by NHS Sussex, we wanted to find out people’s experiences of using the different types of services available for people with dementia. We undertook interviews with 38 carers and seven people with a dementia diagnosis between December 2022 and May 2023. People showed a wide variety of experience in terms of the memory assessment services and the support they received afterwards. For example, some received a detailed care package of support after diagnosis whereas some received little or no support.
Based on these wide-ranging findings, there are several recommendations that may contribute to a better experience of dementia-related services and support. The recommendations are derived from what people said had worked well as well as what they would have appreciated in hindsight. In the main report, these recommendations are grouped into support from their first contact (usually their GP), the memory assessment service, support immediately after diagnosis, and longer-term support.
The whole process was really positive, I feel we were really lucky, I cannot think of any improvements as it went so well. It was just Covid that slowed down the process.
If you have a broken leg, for example, you get lots of support. If you have a broken mind, no one wants to know...unless you are on the ball it is easy to get lost in the system.
