The Sage House Model
Bringing together local dementia services in one place, putting the person with dementia at the centre.
Meeting Local Need
From diagnosis to ongoing management, navigating the complexities of dementia care involves interacting with various specialists, services, and support systems.
The Sage House Model aims to simplify this process by providing a centralised hub where individuals can access a wide range of services tailored to their unique needs.
This model is deeply integrated within the local community, delivered and operated by the local voluntary sector, with experienced and dementia-trained staff, NHS memory services onsite, and strong partnerships with local businesses, all enhanced by a dedicated network of local volunteers.
Model Principles
Future Sage Houses are able to draw on the unique and innovative approach established by Sage House Tangmere in West Sussex, which was launched by Dementia Support as its Centre of Excellence.
The Sage House Model emphasises adaptability and responsiveness, moulding itself to fit the changing needs of the community it serves. This model is built on the principles of agility and experimentation, allowing it to scale effectively and adjust rapidly to new challenges and opportunities. By focusing on the flexibility to evolve alongside the community, Sage House ensures that its support remains relevant and impactful.
The model leverages the proven practices and innovative approaches of Sage House Tangmere, enabling each future Sage House to benefit from its proven strategies and programs. This centralised approach also ensures consistency in quality of care and effectiveness in impact across all locations.
Enhancing Quality of Life
By consolidating services and support, the Sage House Model aims to enhance the overall quality of life for individuals living with dementia. Our approach focuses on:
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Physical health
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Social connections
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Engagement
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Sense of purpose
This model promises to transform the way we approach and manage dementia, providing a centralised and coordinated approach that allows individuals, their families and carers access to a comprehensive range of services and resources.
Core Services
The Sage House Model provides essential services that include:
A regular respite care service for people living with dementia who can come and use the facilities for the day.
This comprises of 3:1 personalised care and support from trained and experienced staff, as well as wellbeing and therapeutic activities including: reminiscence, seated chair exercise, therapy animals, reading aloud, singing and much more.
In addition to providing enhanced quality of life for people, it can also provide families with some respite during their dementia journey. Carers and families have peace of mind that their loved ones are being cared for in a safe environment by experienced support workers.
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Our Wayfinding service allows anyone affected by dementia to talk to a professional for essential one-to-one support and advice.
The Wayfinder can stay with you from pre-diagnosis (when you notice dementia symptoms) and will be a named contact throughout your journey and all the dementia stages.
The team of specialist Wayfinders can:
- Help people to navigate the health and social care system
- Provide accurate and accessible information
- Support and signpost to the right services at the right time
- Help people to live well with dementia
- Provide emotional support
- Help people plan for the future
All NHS Memory Assessment Services in the catchment area can be carried out at Sage House, where people living with dementia can receive their diagnosis and access support.
It ensures that what can sometimes feel like a daunting process takes place in a bright, modern and purpose built environment where all services are under one roof.
Housing locally allows continuous, collaborative care, keeping people with dementia central to the process. It ensures individuals and carers are immediately supported and enables us to change the course of the dementia journey for thousands of families each year.
Watch the team introduce their unique services:
Supporting the above core services, the Sage House Model allows for a range of other services and activities to be provided. These can be scaled up and adapted to meet the needs of the local community.
The full range of services can be viewed at our Centre of Excellence hub in Tangmere, West Sussex:
Partnerships & Community Integration
Utilising partnerships with other voluntary and statutory sector organisations and local businesses is key to providing a full range of accessible services in one place. These partnerships help fill gaps in care and reduce the stress on individuals and carers by co-locating local dementia services.
Successful partnerships include:
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NHS Memory Assessment Service
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Citizens Advice
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Local Solicitors
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Local Financial Advisors
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Local Hair and Holistic Therapy Businesses
Model Toolkit
To replicate the success of Sage House Tangmere across the UK, we offer a replication toolkit developed around five years of Centre of Excellence learnings and best practices.
The toolkit includes:
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Built Environment
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Services Programme
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Partnerships
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Resources
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Marketing & Fundraising Strategies
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Training
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Quality
