New dementia charity set up to support families in Portsmouth, Southampton, Hampshire and Isle of Wight

It follows the setting up of a new charity, Dementia Support – Hampshire & IOW.

The organisation, founded by people with first-hand experience of dementia, aims to provide free emotional support for those living with dementia – a degenerative neurological condition with no known cure.

It is due to open a community base in Osborne Mall at Fareham shopping centre on June 27.

Helen Hamblen, charity director and founder, said: ‘We know from first-hand experience the emotional impact a dementia diagnosis has on patients, families, and caregivers.

‘Common feelings during this life-changing experience can include anxiety, distress, and depression, not just for the person that has dementia but for the whole family.

‘Families and friends provide most of the care for people with dementia and it is vital that everyone living with dementia receives the help and support they need to maximise their health and wellbeing.’

According to the Department of Health there are now 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, costing the economy around £26.3bn a year.

Figures suggest that more than half of people in the UK know someone who has dementia.

It’s feared that by 2025, one million people in the UK will have dementia – doubling to two million by 2050.

Hampshire is one of the top five UK areas with the highest incidence of dementia, with over 24,000 people in the county being diagnosed with dementia in 2020.

Dementia Support runs Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

For more information visit mydementiasupport.org