New guidance has been published to support people with dementia and their carers facing isolation and reduced services as a result of COVID-19.

The leaflet features five simple tips, developed using the latest research and with the input of people affected by dementia and be distributed across Greater Manchester via the Adult Social Care team and Dementia United.

It is part-funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), in a project led by the University of Exeter and the NIHR Older People and Frailty Policy Research Unit

Partners include The University of Manchester, Alzheimer’s Society, Bradford University and Brunel University London.

People with dementia, say the team, are particularly vulnerable to the psychological and social impacts of isolation and lockdown.

Worries expressed by people affected by dementia include maintaining supplies of food and medication, anxiety about hospital admission, lack of confidence, feeling of loss and grief, agitation, and rapid decline in cognitive and functional ability.

And carers say they feel more captive in their role and lack respite opportunities. Many find it difficult to explain the current restrictions to a person with dementia and worry about their safety and well-being.