Could you tell if someone was living with dementia? And would you know how to help them?
To help improve the lives of people with dementia in the East Riding of Yorkshire, friends, families and health and social care professionals are being encouraged to sign up as a Dementia Friend.
This is part of a wider initiative to raise awareness of the condition in the East Riding of Yorkshire during Dementia Awareness Week 2015, which runs from 17th to 23rd May.
East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group and East Riding of Yorkshire Council want to create a more dementia-friendly community. This will mean that more people in the community will know the symptoms of dementia and can help people affected by it to lead more fulfilling lives.
Over 5,000 people are currently living with dementia in the East Riding of Yorkshire and as an area with a growing older population we want to help people living with the condition now, and in the future.
Dementia Friends is the Alzheimer’s Society’s biggest ever initiative with more than 1 million dementia friends in the UK. The aim is to improve awareness and highlight the small things people can do that can make a difference to those living with dementia – from helping someone find the right bus to spreading the word about the condition.
Dr Andrew Noble, GP at Brough and South Cave Medical Centre and Clinical Lead for dementia at NHS East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We realise people have lots of other commitments but becoming a Dementia Friend does not require anything more than attending a face-to-face information session or watching one online and applying what they have learned to any interactions they have with people with dementia.
“This could be anything from helping them get on the right bus or spreading the word about dementia on social media – every action counts!
“Over 5000 people are currently living with dementia in the East Riding of Yorkshire. If you want to learn a bit more about what it’s like to live with the condition and how you can help to spread the word about its symptoms, join the thousands of people who have already signed up to the national initiative today.”
Darren Stevens, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s head of culture and information said: “With a growing number of people across the East Riding being diagnosed with dementia, the council has been working with partner agencies on a number of initiatives that are aimed at creating more dementia friendly communities right across the region.
“For example, staff at all our branch libraries in the East Riding have become Dementia Friends, while books that are aimed at supporting people with dementia and their carers are available to loan from our libraries thanks to the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme which was launched locally earlier this year.
“In support of this work we would encourage as many people as possible to find out more about becoming a Dementia Friend by attending one of the sessions being held in the East Riding during Dementia Awareness Week. We are pleased that some of our libraries and leisure centres will be hosting most of these sessions which we hope will be a real success.”
During Dementia Awareness week a number of Dementia Friends sessions will be held throughout the East Riding of Yorkshire.
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