Martin Shaw writes:
Sidmouth may have the most 90+ residents, but Seaton is the “dementia capital”
Sidmouth has got some publicity [See “Sidmouth, Britain’s over-90s capital”] because it has the highest proportion of people over 90 in the country. But overall, Seaton, Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton are the most elderly towns in Devon, with similar percentages (43-45 percent in the last census) of people over 65. Sidmouth has slightly more very old people, mainly because it has more nursing homes. But Seaton has more people with dementia than anywhere in Devon – our two GP practices are consistently 1st and 2nd in Devon for its prevalence. Both our towns need their community hospitals.
[Note from Owl – Budleigh Salterton Cottage Hospital was built in 1887 but closed as a community hospital at the end of 2016 becoming one of the first “Health Hubs” – see Budleigh Salterton “Health Hub” – the “Hospital” with no beds. ]
East Devon Watch 