Local residents are being asked to share their views on how dementia care should be delivered in Lincolnshire, as part of a consultation by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT).

Since 2020, the Trust has been trialling a Dementia Home Treatment Service, offering intensive support at home to people living with dementia. This has provided an alternative to hospital admission since the temporary closure of the Manthorpe ward in Grantham in April 2020 , allowing more people to remain in familiar surroundings while receiving the care they need.

The Manthorpe ward was an 18-bed ward for dementia patients to receive assessment and treatment when their needs escalated beyond the care of existing community mental health teams and what their carers could manage at home, or in a care home. Although based in Grantham, it was one of just two wards in Lincolnshire that provided a service to the whole county. The other is at Langworth Ward in Lincoln which remains open.

Now, LPFT is considering two future options and is inviting the community to help shape the final decision:

• Option 1: Reopen Manthorpe Ward as an 18-bed dementia inpatient unit and discontinue the Dementia Home Treatment Service.
• Option 2 (Preferred Option): Permanently close Manthorpe Ward and establish the Dementia Home Treatment Service as a permanent offering.

Paula Jelly, Director of Operations for Older People and Frailty Services at LPFT, highlighted the success of the home treatment model:

“Many families have told us they would prefer their loved ones to be cared for at home rather than in hospital. Hospital stays can often negatively impact the health and wellbeing of people with dementia, and our home treatment service has allowed more people to receive intensive support in their own homes. As a result, fewer people have needed hospital admission.”

The consultation runs until 23 May 2025, and local people can have their say through online or paper-based surveys, public information events, or community group visits.

To learn more about the proposed changes and consultation events, visit: www.lpft.nhs.uk/dementia-consultation.