Cost of dementia care is set to soar

THE cost of caring for Northumberland residents suffering from dementia is expected to soar by the end of the decade. A report from Northumberland County Council put the figure at £389 million by 2030 - up from £216 million in 2020.

- JAMES ROBINSON

There are currently 5,399 people aged over 65 living with dementia in Northumberland, with that figure set to increase to almost 9,000 by 2040. Officials at the local authority have been working on a countywide dementia strategy to be followed by health and social care organisations in the county will work together to care for residents over the next decade.

The strategy's vision centres around reducing the risk of people developing dementia and to enable and support people living with dementia to live life to their full potential.