A NEW study aimed to help improve the care provided to people living with dementia has involved members of a NHS team based at Kidderminster Hospital.

The Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust’s Early Intervention Dementia Service, which also has locally based clinics around the county, has already helped more than 2,500 people across Worcestershire receive an earlier, timely assessment.

The study aims to reduce stigma and uncertainty around dementia and promote best practices to enable people to live well with dementia.

It highlights the importance of personalised pre-assessment counselling, skilful cognitive assessment, sympathetic communication of the diagnosis and appropriate post diagnostic support and access to relevant psychosocial interventions.

Anna Buckell, clinical psychologist for the trust, said: “There are over 8,000 people living with dementia in Worcestershire, including about 400 younger people.

“Developing dementia could happen to a significant number of us.

“Most types of dementia can't be cured, which is why it is so important to enable people with dementia to live well with the condition.”

The dementia service was set up in July 2010 in response to the needs of the local population and is available to people of any age, registered with a GP in Worcestershire who are experiencing memory problems and do not have a formal diagnosis of dementia.

The study can be downloaded from the British Psychological Society shop at shop.bps.org.uk/ or The Faculty for the Psychology of Older People website at psige.org.uk

For more information on dementia visit nhs.uk/Conditions/dementia-guide/Pages/dementia-choices.aspx