The Community Champions project encourages its members to support others in the community so everyone can thrive, giving and receiving help. Kindness is a value central to the project. Our monthly learning sessions give ideas about how we can make translate our kindness into practical action.
Nine Community Champions members – clients, volunteers and staff joined Julie, Dementia Friends Ambassador for a fascinating interactive learning session about how we can support people with dementia. We learnt what dementia is, its progressive nature, heard there are over a hundred different types, and how it affects the brain changing people’s perceptions. It is not just about losing memory but can adversely impact language ability, sequencing activities ( e.g. getting dressed) , vision and changes in behaviour and confidence. Dementia research is showing that lifestyle factors like a healthy diet, social connections and regular exercise can all help to decrease rates of dementia.
We discussed the importance of focussing on the person rather than the dementia and celebrating the activities people living with dementia can still do e.g. going out for walks, singing, making tea. Dementia will affect each person differently depending on their physiology and the type they have. We learnt that people with dementia still have rich emotions but may lose logical processing skills because of where plaques form in the brain. With the right medical and community support, people with dementia can live well, although they face multiple challenges, especially as the illness progresses. As Dementia Friends listening to people with dementia, making eye contact, continuing to visit and giving people more time at supermarkets are all helpful actions. Organisations like Dementia Harborough provide practical, emotional and social support for the person with dementia, and their families. Often people with symptoms delay going to the doctor for diagnosis because of the stigma associated with dementia.
By becoming Dementia Friends Community Champions members can challenge and reduce this stigma. Dementia Friends wants to convert understanding into action, so we collectively discussed the key messages about dementia to share with the community.
All participants engaged with the activities, shared their experiences of family and friends with dementia, and asked Julie questions. For 3 clients and a volunteer this was the first time they had come to a learning session and all vowed to return – “ this has been brilliant – I have learnt so much and everyone was friendly” “Julie was so good – really clear” “ I am going away with so much useful information, thank you” “ I loved it” All were proud to sign the Dementia Friends pledge accept the forget-me-not pin badge as a visual sign of their commitment to being a Dementia Friend.
”What a super group “Julie reflected ”I have really enjoyed the discussions and everyone’s openness to learn how they can support people with dementia”
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