Champion group to lead discussions on better dementia care

A new dementia care project is kicking off with discussions of potential community support solutions, led by a group of government-appointed dementia champions.

Alzheimer's Society ambassador Angela Rippon and chief executive Jeremy Hughes will lead the Dementia Friendly Communities Champion Group debates, which will include representatives from major retailers and utility companies, as well as charities and local government.

The aim of these discussions will be to examine how to make 20 cities, towns and villages dementia-friendly by 2015, with measures such as setting up dementia cafes or introducing greeters at supermarkets.

Care services minister Paul Burstow said this will "challenge cities, towns and villages up and down the land to lead a revolution in how people think about dementia".

Last month, prime minister David Cameron stated the government's commitment to making the UK a world leader on dementia, with estimates suggesting that 670,000 people in England currently suffer from the condition.