A NEW way of dealing with dementia will be trialled in Enfield.

The borough will be one of three Dementia Demonstrator sites in London, after winning a bid alongside Croydon and Kingston-upon-Thames.

The status will see an extra £165,000 in funding to come to the borough over two years to support people with the condition.

As part of the project, Enfield will get a full-time specialist dementia adviser and a team of volunteers recruited and trained to provide the service.

There will also be a dedicated helpline providing information and advice, as well as the opportunity for people to have face-to-face meetings with an adviser.

How the scheme is received and the lessons learnt from Enfield and the two other sites will then inform its introduction in the rest of the country.

There are an estimated 3,000 people in Enfield with dementia.

Cllr Edward Smith, cabinet member for adult social services, said: “Dementia is a particularly cruel illness that puts the families and carers of those who live with this under a great deal of strain, sometimes 24-hours-a -day.

“This project will ensure that people newly diagnosed with dementia and their families and carers are provided with the right information and the right support at the right time.”

The service will be provided by charity, the Alzheimer’s Society, the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, and Enfield Council.

The council's director of mental health, Oliver Treacy, said dementia was one of the biggest health challenges facing people in Enfield, and a priority for the authorities.

He said: “By working together we are able to make an even bigger difference in the lives of people affected by dementia.”