Dementia Initiative Aims To Make A Million Friends

Submitted by WaMH in PC on Wed, 21/11/2012 - 09:29

Link to Dementia Friends websiteA new national scheme is aiming to create a million-strong UK support network of volunteers, carers and helpers by 2015 to change the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about dementia.

Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative which aims to make everyday life better for people with dementia by passing on the know-how to help people with dementia feel understood and included in their community. 

Being a Dementia Friend is about turning understanding into action and will work through things like asking volunteers to give a helping hand to someone struggling to get on the right bus through to encouraging someone else to become a Dementia Friend.

No action is too big or too small and the scheme plans to equip 'Friends' with an understanding of dementia explaining how they can help people with dementia in every community, every hospital ward, post office, place of worship and on every street across the country.

You can take the first step to becoming a 'Friend' by registering your interest through the Dementia Friends website and help start building a network of 'Friends' in your local area.
 
The organisers need people to volunteer and they'll then keep everyone up to date with all the exciting developments as the project builds across the country. 

Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain and symptoms include the gradual loss of memory, reasoning and communication skills.

However, people who have dementia are not alone and they and their carers can still have a good quality of life.

There are different types of dementia with the most common being Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

The following organisations provide advice and support for with dementia and their families and can be contacted using the following websites and telephone numbers:

If you have any questions about WaMH in PC's work with dementia in Wales please visit our Dementia section or contact us via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.