September 2009
There’s no doubting that dementia is one of the most debilitating conditions and an estimated 2,124 (source: Alzheimer’s Society) are suffering from it right now in the Bury area with both sufferers and carers facing an uphill struggle to meet everyday challenges often with little or no support. However, the good news for Bury residents is that they are able to access a support group at the Pinfold Lane Day Centre and from 8th September 2009, Clough and Willis, one of the North West’s leading mid-sized legal firms, will be staging a free monthly legal clinic as part of the Centre’s programme of events.
The new clinic format, which will run on the second Tuesday of every month, was recently showcased in front of a select audience of professional and family carers by Richard Phillips, head of the Private Client Department at Clough & Willis and his colleague Ciara Hannawin. They will be on hand every month to offer practical guidance in relation to a number of the key issues dementia suffers and their loved ones face, including; Powers of Attorney – the process that allows someone to choose who they would like to manage their financial affairs and welfare decisions should there come a time when they are unable to do so themselves, or Deputyship Applications - the complex and lengthy process a carer, friend or solicitor has to go through in order to obtain control of a person’s affairs once that person has lost their ability to manage.
This new service comes at a time when the Alzheimer’s Society believes that careful planning for the future is needed now to ensure that the right care and support is available as the number of registered sufferers is predicted to rise.
Over the last few years, the general monthly open support session at the Pinfold Lane Day Centre has become one of the community’s most important groups where carers get together to share information and experiences. With two thirds of people with dementia living at home, family and home based carers are a God-send for both sufferers as well as the economy as they save the UK over £6 billion every year (source: Alzheimer’s Society).
Richard Phillips said, ‘As a firm, we are acutely aware of the challenges faced by dementia sufferers and those who look after them, so we hope this new series of clinics will provide a simple route to honest, open and helpful advice.’
Susan McFarland, Centre Manager at the Pinfold Lane Centre commented, ‘The centre offers support and all sorts of activities for both dementia sufferers and their carers. Looking after someone with dementia can be lonely and we encourage carers to come along to our support group or clinic.’