• JOY Nelson (I love the idea of being safe in the Netherwood, Letters, February 9), puts the case for Netherwood most movingly and clearly.

She describes the importance of this service which underpins her life with Alzheimer’s disease, and the freedom and dignity which she benefits from as a result. And she also raises another issue. This is the little-discussed but hugely important value of facilities which allow people to remain at home, confident that they can receive help locally if needed.

In other words, the preventative approach.

Local day centres are surely part of the answer to the overwhelming demands on hospitals, A&E departments and GP surgeries.

If you are confident that you can access a very high level of professional advice, care, and comfort within a stable and familiar community, the anxiety of which Joy speaks can be offset.

Anxiety and sleeplessness are a quick route to ill-health whether physical or mental.

Centres such as Netherwood must be allowed to continue their essential role in our communities.

LIZ FRASER
Lamb’s Conduit Street WC1