Jersey's first dementia strategy could see improvements in financial support and care facilities

Jersey's first dementia strategy suggests that financial support for long-term care could be increased.

The Strong Foundations strategy, created in partnership with Jersey's government and Dementia Jersey, will outline how people with dementia will be cared for until 2029.

The government says it wants to ensure that the long-term care scheme can support the costs of nursing care for people with dementia by the end of 2024.

However, they note that the financial need to meet this is yet to be decided.

Jersey's Health Minister Tom Binet wrote: "Most of us will be touched by dementia in our lifetimes, whether that be through having a diagnosis ourselves, caring for a family member or friend who has dementia, or knowing someone with a diagnosis of dementia.

"The strategy draws strongly on the voices of islanders, particularly those with lived experiences of dementia, whilst drawing on local and global evidence."

Dementia Jersey currently estimates that approximately 1,600 people live with the condition in the island.

However, only five of Jersey's 56 care homes are registered for people over the age of 60 with dementia, providing a maximum of 271 places.

Services could be under strain in the future as government figures released in February show that dementia diagnoses will rise by 52% by 2043.

The plan outlines how the island might cope with this demand, developing facilities to care for people with complex dementia needs and reducing diagnosis waiting times to six weeks.

The strategy states that diagnosing dementia early can help people "plan for the future" and "gain access to financial support for their care needs".

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