A GROUND-BREAKING dementia scheme is being piloted in Halesowen which could be rolled out across the country if successful.

Shops and buildings are to be designated “safe places” for dementia sufferers and will display a newly designed logo, which features the forget-me-not flower, so confused elderly people can get immediate help.

The scheme is part of the work being undertaken by the Dudley Council’s Dementia Gateway scheme which is making Halesowen one of the most dementia friendly towns in the UK.

The Oaks Project in Cradley, where students with learning difficulties produce art, was commissioned to design the new logo.

Chris Self, founder of The Oaks Project, said: “We were delighted to create a logo for such a worthwhile campaign.

“The logo needed to evoke a sense of community but would also stand alone as a strong image that could be displayed in shop windows and areas that will be designated as safe places for confused people to get assistance.

“We decided to use the forget-me-not flower because it has resonance with dementia and if this scheme is a success then this logo can be used in other towns and eventually become a nationally recognised symbol.”

A thousand postcards with the forget-me-not logo have already been distributed in Halesowen.

The number of people diagnosed with dementia is rising and dealing with the disease in the long term is one of the most important healthcare priorities for the Government and local authorities.

Councillor Dave Branwood, Dudley Council cabinet member for adult, community and housing services, said: “This pioneering approach is about giving people independence in their communities as long as they have the right levels of help and support.

He said: “We are a leading force in developing the gateways, which offer help and support for people diagnosed with dementia and their carers from the borough's three dementia gateways.”

One aspect of the Dementia Gateway scheme has been to transform the Brett Young Centre, Old Hawne Lane, into a state-of-the-art facility for dementia sufferers.

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris has spoken in Parliament about dementia and released a pamphlet about mental health issues.

He said: “The work that Dudley Council has done over the past three or four years has helped to make the area one of the best in the country for the support offered to people affected by dementia and their carers.

“The co-ordinated, systematic approach offered by local dementia gateways means that anyone in Halesowen who is affected can find the support they need without having to navigate an endless series of agencies.”

He added: "David Vickers and Lesley Faulkner can be extremely proud of the legacy that they created when they ran adult social services locally, and I am very pleased that the current Council has continued their good work.

“I have had the pleasure of seeing the fantastic services offered at the Brett Young Centre a number of times, meeting with service users and with the carers group. I am always struck by the skill, compassion and dedication of the staff and by just how much the Centre means to all the people who use it and are helped by it.”