"We need a dementia strategy"

Thursday 02 September 2021

The CEO of Dementia Jersey has called for the Government to draft a dementia strategy as soon as possible, saying an island-wide plan for handling the illness "never been more important."

With the pandemic having delayed the Government's strategy, and an ageing population, Claudine Snape said the third sector and Government should be working together more effectively to tackle the issue.

Pictured: "With an ageing population we need to be ready to scale up our services to help more people."

She pointed out out how according to Public Health Statistics, “by next year one-in-every-five people will be aged 65 and over” and that dementia will affect 7% of that age group.

Speaking to Express about running the charity during a pandemic, she outlined her vision for how the Dementia Jersey is looking to come back "bigger and better" next year, and maps out how the island's community can work together to benefit those with dementia...

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role

I came to Jersey with my family when I was nine years old and went to school at JCG. After graduating I worked in London for a communications agency then a range of charities that meant something to me personally, including Cancer research UK, Asthma UK and lastly the National Deaf Children’s Society, where I was the Director of Communications.

It felt a natural move for me to go into a charity CEO role and this job came up shortly after my gran died as a result of vascular dementia, so I felt a strong drive to do something to help. It didn’t take much to persuade me to return to the Island as the pandemic had forced me to slow down, take a step back and re-prioritise.

I realised that I wanted to be closer to family and achieve the holy grail of a better work/life balance.

Pictured: "It felt a natural move for me to go into a charity CEO role and this job came up shortly after my gran died as a result of vascular dementia, so I felt a strong drive to do something to help."

My role as CEO at Dementia Jersey is crazily varied, but that’s what I love. On any day I could be writing grant applications, speeches for events, updates for trustee meetings, dropping in on services, chatting to staff and volunteers, attending meetings or helping to fix the paper jam in the photocopier.

Years working in PR early in my career have taught to be calm in a storm and I’ve been described as ‘relentlessly optimistic’, something that’s definitely a help in this role. I keep a suit jacket, heels, Swiss army knife and a first aid kit in the cupboard which seems to cover most emergencies/opportunities!

What do you think is the biggest challenge for Dementia Jersey? 

We’ve got some immediate physical challenges like office space as we’re fast outgrowing our current space but probably the biggest challenge is the delay in the development of the Government’s dementia strategy due to the pandemic and loss of momentum from their staff changing roles.

We need a dementia strategy because we‘ve got an ageing population – according to Public Health statistics, “by next year one-in-every-five people will be aged 65 and over;” dementia will affect 7% of that age group.

The Memory Assessment Service, which does fantastic work, is faced with a significant backlog as it had to close in the pandemic. It has never been more important for a strategy to address island-wide problems, identify barriers and map how Government, the community and the third sector should all be working together more effectively to benefit people with dementia and their families.

Pictured: "It has never been more important for a strategy to address island-wide problems..."

I also can’t miss the opportunity to say how challenging it is to raise the £400,000 we need to run the charity and deliver services each year, especially in such difficult times. It’s something keeping many CEOs awake at night.

We’ve had to cancel plans for our conference and fundraising ball, but we intend to come back bigger and better next year and are forever grateful for our committed supporters and partners who have been remarkably generous. 

And what’s the biggest opportunity?

With an ageing population we need to be ready to scale up our services to help more people.

To do this we need to keep checking the services are the right ones by asking people with dementia and their carers what they think. We’ve got a huge opportunity to do this from this summer due to the establishment of a new lived experience advisory group (LEAP).

Pictured: "We’ve also expanded our musical therapy sessions and coffee groups for carers and are recruiting for a third dementia advisor to join the team and provide key support."

Due to popular demand we’ve also expanded our musical therapy sessions and coffee groups for carers and are recruiting for a third dementia advisor to join the team and provide key support.

It’s all about being in a position to scale up to meet demand and reach out to people who may need our support and not know about us. For that we need good marketing so people know who we are and run strong campaigns about dementia and it’s symptoms so people know what to look out for. 

There’s a real opportunity to educate people about reducing their risk of developing dementia too. About 40% of cases could be prevented or delayed by adopting healthy lifestyles, particularly in middle age. Things like curbing excessive alcohol, stopping smoking, keeping a reasonable weight and blood pressure. These actions are great for keeping both your heart and brain healthy. 

How can we help?  

Our vision is for a dementia friendly Island where all those affected by dementia are understood, welcomed and supported.

You can help by learning a bit about dementia to help your family, or your best friend’s family or your neighbours. Because the chances are, over time you’ll come across someone with dementia and your support will be invaluable.

We’re also always looking for volunteers to help with our expanding services and welcome anyone with ideas for raising money with open arms. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about Dementia Jersey.