OVER 1,000 people in the Hexham area are currently living within the cruel confines of memory loss.

That figure means that tens of thousands of family members are also dealing with the devastating impact of dementia.

And communities in Tynedale are forging ahead in providing pioneering care and support for the 1,291 people in the area who suffer from dementia.

Corbridge has 400 ‘dementia friends’ who are trained to recognise those living with dementia and help them live full lives within the community.

And many of the businesses in the village display blue ‘dementia friendly’ signs in the window.

A Dementia Care day centre in Hexham provides specialist care and support for over 200 people in the area.

Plans are in motion for a memory cafe to be established at Hexham Abbey, which already hosts a monthly Singing for the Brain group.

And last month, 40 staff at Hexham’s Dene Grange care home completed intensive training in dementia care.

But what about those coping with the condition behind closed doors?

Currently, 400,000 people with dementia receive care from 520,000 homecare workers.

The Alzheimer’s Society has recently published the results of an investigation into dementia homecare and the figures make for worrying reading.

Homecare workers with Unison were surveyed, as were over 1,220 people affected by dementia.

Shockingly, only two per cent of those people affected by the disease felt homecare workers had enough dementia training.

That response is backed up by the fact that 38 per cent of homecare workers have no dementia training.

Nearly half of the workers said they had requested further training in dementia, but many reported that they had been turned down.

This cavernous shortfall means that some of the most vulnerable people have fallen through the cracks within the care system, with tragic results.

The Alzheimer’s Society has reported instances in which people with dementia were not provided with food or water, left in dirty clothes for days and left to sleep in wet or soiled bed sheets.

These are only some of the shocking scenarios the society says could have been avoided were care workers to have received better training.

The findings come in the wake of a recent report by the UK Home Care Association, highlighting the under-funding of homecare services.

And Freedom of Information requests by the Alzheimer’s Society found that 71 per cent of the local authorities that responded do not include an allocation for training within their contracts for homecare.

Alzheimer’s Society services manager for Northumberland Helen Williams said: “Care scandals in hospitals and care homes have been well publicised, yet unacceptable homecare practices are widespread and happen behind closed doors, hidden from public scrutiny.

“There is simply not enough money invested in the social care system.

“Homecare workers are crying out for more dementia training – without it their hands are tied behind their backs.

“We need the Government to support empowered and well-trained homecare workers who can transform dementia care in this country, allowing people to live independently and in their own homes for longer.”

The charity has launched a petition asking the Government to tackle this situation head-on by funding training and to ensure the workforce has the skills needed to provide adequate dementia care.

This drive is part of the Alzheimer’s Society’s Fix Dementia Care campaign.

For more information or to sign the petition visit: www.alzheimers.org.uk/fixdementiacare