Over 11,000 people over 65 could have dementia by 2030 in Wiltshire

The document indicates that this is primarily driven by an aging population and increased life expectancy.

The report was discussed during an update on the county’s dementia strategy in Trowbridge County Hall, at the latest health select committee meeting.

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Wiltshire Council's health select committee meeting. (Image: Wiltshire Council) In 2022, the dementia diagnosis rate in over 65-year-olds in Wiltshire is estimated to have been 58.5 per cent, equivalent to around 4,300 people, which indicates that there are approximately 3,000 further people that are undiagnosed.

The county has one of the fastest aging populations in the UK.

By the year 2040, the number of Wiltshire residents aged 85 and over is expected to have increased by 87 per cent, whilst the number under the age of 65 is expected to have decreased by 3 per cent.

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Wiltshire's dementia services are mainly provided through two community-based contracts delivered by Alzheimer's Support: Dementia Advisors and Community Services.

These contracts are valued at £580,000 in total and were recently renewed.

During the discussion, Bradford on Avon and Calne were both used as “exemplary” cases of “dementia-friendly” towns.

Referring to Bradford on Avon, Cllr David Vigar said: “There is a huge range of activities for people with dementia, cafes, walks, movies…

“There has been dementia training for the businesses and so on.”

Jo Body, a senior commissioner at Wiltshire Council, agreed: “Bradford on Avon and Calne are best practice across Wiltshire.

“If we could get everywhere to be the level of Bradford on Avon and Calne, then I think we’d probably have the best county dealing with dementia across the nation.

“Those are exemplary towns and they’ve done an amazing job.”

The committee heard that the dementia strategy’s vision is to create supportive communities and improve care quality.

Despite recent leadership changes, it was said that progress is being made on key priorities such as awareness, equitable service coverage, and high-quality end-of-life care.

There are also efforts to improve dementia diagnosis and treatment in Wiltshire, but challenges remain in meeting the demand for assessments and providing comprehensive post-diagnostic support.