Two new support services for people living with dementia were launched yesterday, Wednesday, in the HSE offices at Mallow Primary Healthcare Centre. ‘The Crystal Project’, which supports people with dementia and their families, and also assists HSE staff working with dementia sufferers, will give significant help to those recently diagnosed with dementia, providing advice on strategies to compensate for memory loss.

Also launched yesterday was a Memory Resource Room in the Primary Healthcare Centre. This room will open every Tuesday on a drop-in basis, and family, carers or people concerned about their memory can speak to healthcare professionals. Appointments for other days will be accommodated by ringing the Occupational Therapist (OT) with the HSE. The service at the Memory Resource Room is open to all and no referral is necessary. It is also open to anyone living in North Cork.

Speaking at the launch, Yvonne Finn-Orde, HSE South General Manager for Primary Care Services, said “This is a service not just for the person with dementia, it is for their families and friends and anyone else who has a concern about dementia. We very much welcome the opportunity to work with key stakeholders like the Alzheimer Society, family carers, UCC and GPs in Mallow Primary Healthcare Centre. The Memory Resource Room will also support the wider health sources, and staff working in the area can be assured they are directing their patients to a trusted service of support and information.”