A FORTH VALLEY based dementia charity has warned it may be forced to close most of its services in the Wee County.

Town Break Dementia Support Services, which runs 13 different across Clackmannanshire and Stirling, says lack of engagement and commitment from the local authorities is putting the charity under greater pressure.

The charity is funded through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), a joint integration collaborative between the two councils to better support people in Forth Valley.

The Integrated Joint Board (IJB) merged services provided by NHS Forth Valley and both Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils with each partner taking responsibility for parts of the budget.

It provides adult social care, adult primary health care and unscheduled adult hospital care for the region.

Helen Duncan, chief officer for Town Break, said: “Town Break’s Clackmannanshire and Stirling-based support services are now under threat, funding has dried up this year with no real prospect of further appropriate funding from the Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership.

“The charity has repeatedly tried to engage with the HSCP but has not yet received any official response.

“We have done our best to limit the effect on the people we support but, unfortunately, we can no longer substation our Clackmannanshire and Stirling based services.

“Local authorities must dedicate resources for people with dementia, without this, we risk leaving too many people behind to cope on their own.”

Town Break did confirm that the Falkirk based services are not affected by these cuts, with all activities fully funded by the Falkirk HSCP.

Helen added that the charity has seen a rise in demand for their services, with a lengthy waiting list for people needing support.

She continued: “We currently support over 374 people living with dementia and their unpaid carers each week across the Stirling and Clackmannanshire Health and Social Care Partnership area.

“There are 22 people currently on a waiting list with little prospect of being able to access support.

“Furthermore, this year we have seen increased demand all our services with over 300 referrals received in 2023 alone.

“Without Town Break, some people may have to cope with the devastating hardship of dementia alone.

“Dementia support cannot be provided without appropriate funding, and it cannot be left to the charity sector to pick up the pieces.”

The Clackmannanshire HSCP responded to the Advertiser explaining that no decision had been made on Town Break’s funding as of yet.

A spokesperson for the Clackmannanshire HSCP said: “No decision has been made on Town Break’s funding for the next financial year (April 2024 onwards).

“We are working on refreshing the model of care for supported individuals living with a diagnosis of dementia and their carers as part of a re-design of services in 2024.

“A collaborative approach will be key to this process which will enable our partners and providers like Town Break the opportunity to participate fully.”