Well, that’s a big step. Let’s start small…let’s start with communities. The Alzheimer’s Society and Department of Health have teamed up to bring about the Dementia Friends initiative. The idea is as many people as possible attend information sessions about dementia and become ‘Dementia Friends’. Some of those then go on to become Dementia Champions who go forth and spread the word by holding their own information sessions and so on and so forth.
I’m writing this post on the train back from Gloucester where I just attended a dementia champions training session. Within the next few weeks I aim to be delivering information sessions for people in the Bristol area. I’m going to start small with some friends and family and then progress shortly onto local groups (eg. WI’s, Girl Guides, Round Table etc etc) and open sessions at libraries and other community venues.
I feel very passionate about dementia because my grandmother had Alzheimer’s. It was a hard, long process and often myself and my family felt we didn’t have enough support. We also didn’t really understand what she was going through. I don’t want to live in a world where that happens so my positive step towards making the world dementia friendly is to try and make my community as dementia friendly as I can.
The important thing to remember is dementia can be a struggle yes but people can also live well with it. We can help that to happen by becoming more aware of what we could do to make that easier for our friends, families, colleagues or members of our community who might have dementia.
If you are worried you or someone you know may have dementia please see your GP or seek help from The Alzheimer’s Society http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200120
If you feel you would like to be a dementia friend check out the website http://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/ And if you would be interested in hosting or attending an information session in Bristol, UK please get in touch.
Thanks,
Becky
Dementia Friend and Champion.
Blue and New 