A HUGE rise in dementia cases is predicted over the next 15 years, sparking fears care services will be overwhelmed.

Figures show 4,221 people in south Essex are receiving dementia care this year.

This is expected to rise to 9,815 in 2035, presenting a huge challenge for health services.

Southend councillors have been warned services will not be able to “safely manage and support the number of people with dementia” if the increase materialises.

To combat the looming threat, a new community-focussed care strategy could be implemented across south Essex with the goal of speeding up diagnosis and improving treatment.

It will include the introduction of dementia nurse specialists in care home teams, who will be able to offer advice and support to GPs when making a diagnosis, as well as offer training to care home staff.

A dementia intensive support team will also work alongside health services such as mental health teams, social services and the ambulance service to help avoid unplanned emergency hospital admissions and relieve the strain on A&E departments.

The measures were backed by members of Southend’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday.

Southend councillor Trevor Harp, who chaired the meeting, said: “The driving force behind it is moving to a much-improved level of care in the community to keep people in their homes and around a family environment.

“It will also help to relieve the pressures on hospitals by identifying those needing care and providing them with a care plan before they need to present to A&E departments.”

While the plans still need to be discussed and approved by Southend’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Mr Harp said he would not have given it support if he was not confident it would help to address the growing level of demand.

However, he stressed that predicting future demand can always be challenging.

He also acknowledged finding extra health care workers to fill new specialist positions can be problematic but added authorities would “upskill workers”.

One possible example is giving care home workers the chance to take on the role of a dementia nurse specialist.

The plan will be discussed at a later meeting, where details will be fleshed out and financing will be signed-off.