Many of us have some level of experience of dementia, through contact with family or friends. Many of us would welcome the opportunity to gain a little more understanding and to improve awareness throughout our community.
Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society led initiative, funded by the Department of Health and Cabinet Office. It aims to increase dementia awareness and change the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about dementia and is part of the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia.
A Dementia Friend is someone who has attended a one hour information session and has committed to an action that will make the lives of people living with dementia a little bit better. Anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend and every action counts - from helping someone to find the right bus to spreading the word about dementia on social media.
Dementia Friends Champions are trained volunteers who encourage their family, friends, colleagues and local community to understand a little bit more about dementia, what it’s like to live with dementia and then turn that understanding into action.
Preston City Council is committed to becoming Dementia Aware as an organisation so as to ensure that its services can become more responsive to the needs of people affected by Dementia. Throughout 2014 the Council will be focusing on ensuring that its staff are trained to become more “Dementia Friends” As part of this approach the Council is also committed to providing regular “ Dementia Friends” sessions for the community and will be running the first of these sessions in Grimsargh.
There will be two sessions held on Thursday 30th January, in the Citizenzone Bus at the Village Hall.
Session 1, 4.00 - 5.00pm
Session 2, 6.00 - 7.00pm
There will be 12 places for each session. Booking is essential. Please contact Jackie Singleton, Tel 01772 906453, Email: j.singleton@preston.gov.uk
If you would like to find out more about Dementia Friends please visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk.
FACTFILE
- There are 800,000 people with dementia in the UK with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2021. This will soar to 1.7 million by 2050.
- One in three people over 65 will die with dementia.
- 80% of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems.
- There are over 17,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK.
- Dementia affects nearly 25,000 people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK.
- Dementia costs the UK over £23 billion a year, and this figure will rise to £27 billion per annum by 2018.
- Unpaid carers supporting someone with dementia save the economy £8 billion a year.
- Dementia is one of the main causes of disability later in life, ahead of cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. As a country we spend much less on dementia than on these other conditions.