A CARE CENTRE operating through the borough has been awarded for their dementia patient centred care.

The Silver Birch Centres across Essex have been announced as the winner of the Essex Care awards, for Best Person Centred Dementia Care 2018.

They help patients and carers throughout South Essex, including in Benfleet, Basildon and Southend, where centres are based.

Specialist centres help provide a day of activities for those living with Dementia, including offering cognitive stimulation, socialisation, fun, pamper sessions, hairdressing, music, baking, reminiscence activities, and open space in their centre garden.

As well as this, they help support unpaid carers, by giving them a full day to take a break from their role and relax.

The aim of this is to help exhausted full time carers to continue to cope with their caring role, enabling their loved one to stay living at home.

Centres are run by Carers Choices, who help these carers have a short break from their caring responsibilities.