Redefining Dementia Support: Clarity When it Matters Most
Shaftesbury
In Suffolk, where rates are higher than the national average, many individuals and families were left waiting up to 44 weeks for assessment — often feeling anxious, overwhelmed and unsure where to turn.
SSMDS offers a compassionate, community-based response, providing a simple and trusted point of contact at a time when it matters most. Through a seven-day helpline, home visits and personalised guidance, the service supports people with memory concerns, those living with dementia and their carers. Every interaction is designed to help people feel heard, understood and better able to cope with what lies ahead.
Delivered by specially trained staff, the service joins up care in a way that reduces frustration and repetition for people explaining their experiences to health-care professionals.
Built rapidly in just eight weeks, it is flexible, collaborative and rooted in strong local partnerships, with input from people with lived experience shaping its development.
In its first year, SSMDS has supported over 3,000 people, responding quickly to those in need and making a meaningful difference to those supported. At a time of fear and uncertainty, people tell us they feel less alone, more informed and more confident to face the future.
Feedback tells us the support is invaluable. One client commented “how lovely it was to speak to a human who truly understands."