Ilfracombe home can subsidise cost of dementia care

PSP Healthcare, the award winning operators of Edenmore Nursing Home in Ilfracombe, has launched a special �1m fund to assist with the ever increasing cost of providing nursing care for the elderly. Wayne Shermon, operations director, sasid: PSP is a fa

PSP Healthcare, the award winning operators of Edenmore Nursing Home in Ilfracombe, has launched a special �1m fund to assist with the ever increasing cost of providing nursing care for the elderly.

Wayne Shermon, operations director, sasid: "PSP is a family-run organisation which specialises in the long term care of the elderly. Our founders recognise that the costs of nursing care can be very high and often cause additional stress for families and supporters. They have therefore set up a special fund which can be used to subsidise the cost of providing nursing care."

The fund is open to those requiring dementia nursing care at a PSP Care Centre. Applications for the subsidies are completed by the nurse manager at Edenmore, Liz Thompson, and will entail a clinical and financial assessment. Decisions on the subsidies are made by a funding committee and usually available within three working days of an application.

Edenmore is registered for 47 residents and provides dementia nursing care. The home is set in a peaceful lane overlooking the town and offering spectacular views across the Bristol Channel.

The average cost of providing nursing care for an elderly resident with dementia is around �700 per week, Mr Shermon said. However Devon County Council currently pays only �533 per week.

Mr Shermon said: "The cost of caring for those with dementia has increased significantly over the past few years, but government funding has not caught up with this. We have been working closely with the PCT and Devon County Council to ensure that those requiring our specialist services are able to do so by taking advantage of our subsidy fund."

More than 700,000 people are estimated to be suffering from Dementia in the UK and this figure is estimated to triple in the next ten years.

It is estimated that the cost of treating and caring for people with dementia is �17bn a year - more than the cost of heart disease, stroke and cancer combined.