I had a fascinating half-day at Warren Manor on Friday. Having read my concerns about the availability of dementia care places in my Change newspaper, Warren Manor’s owner Spencer Livings invited me round to see what life was like at his day care centre.

And it is very impressive. Service clients arrive from about 8.30am onwards, and gather in the day room for morning tea and coffee and a chat about what is going on in the world – no doubt the shenanigans in Westminster being one item at the moment! They get served lunch – from a range of 10 choices, which makes a change from when there is only one choice and you either like it or lump it. Lunch is served in a superb function room, with a bar for drinks and a kitchen attached. The lunchtime service is even open to members of the public – so why not drop by for a sample! My cottage pie was excellent. In the afternoon, entertainment is laid on – on Friday we had the Melody Makers singing some popular show tunes interspersed with singalongs. Even I was mouthing the words, and I can’t even sing.

One of the noticeable things about Warren Manor was the atmosphere. It is a family-owned, family-run private company, and almost all the staff seem to be related. You do get a real sense that they treat each and every person there as an individual – and ‘dignity’ is so important, and so often overlooked. Staffing ratios are meant to be 1 for every 10 clients, but at Warren Manor it is 1 for every 6, so no-one gets overlooked.

But Warren Manor cannot do it all. There is so much unmet need for day care – not just for those with mental health needs – yet so few specialised providers are out there. Local authorities have no statutory duty to provide day care services to local residents – yet in an area like ours, social isolation for the elderly is sadly all too common.

In recent months, though, numbers have just begun to tail off. Because provision is not obligatory, day care is often the first to be cut. As council budgets get squeezed, both Lancashire and Blackpool are having to re-assess their priorities. Blackpool is reviewing its daycare provision at the moment – a trip to Warren Manor would demonstrate just how valuable a service it is, I’m sure. Plus, in an extra plug, they’re good value too because they pick the clients up and drop them off home, unlike most other providers.

Warren Manor does a magnificent job against the backdrop of an inadequate policy framework set by central government. Local councils have found social care overlooked now for a decade, despite all this talk of health spending doubling. Areas such as mental health and social care have not seen much of the splurge. Initiatives such as individual budgets where the client can choose where to purchase their care from are the way forward, certainly, but the schemes haven’t been fully rolled out. And you are always in the Catch-22 that choice is only meaningful if the person understands how to apply that choice to enhance their own self-interest.

In an ageing population, it is the diseases of old age that will start to cost the nation more than cancer and heart disease in terms of healthcare funding. Ensuring people can remain independent in their own homes is crucial, and places like Warren Manor help ward off loneliness by providing a stimulating and safe environment, and give carers that vital rest. .