Dementia Awareness Week

14^th to 20^th May 2017

You may have noticed in the media that this week is Dementia Awareness Week. Social Media channels have been awash with wonderful pictures of people all around the country staging events to help raise awareness of Dementia in their local community. From communal walks to baking cakes, from awareness sessions to training courses, people across the UK are getting behind the campaign to bring dementia and its symptoms to the attention of as many people as possible.

There are even Dementia Friendly Communities springing up around the country to help ensure that people with dementia feel understood, valued and able to contribute to their local area. This amazing programme is designed to improve inclusion and quality of life for people living with dementia.

Wouldn’t it be great though if we could educate our young people to become a dementia-friendly generation? The Alzheimer’s Society is helping make this dream a reality by providing resources and for our Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Youth Organisations and Scout Groups on its website www.alzeihmers.org.uk

By helping the next generation to understand this disease better and provide them with practical advice on how they can support people living with it, we wouldn’t need a designated week to raise awareness!

So, yes let’s celebrate Dementia Awareness week but why not make dementia awareness part of everyday life? Let’s transform the way we think, act and talk about the condition. Let’s create Dementia Friendly Communities, let’s help our young people understand how they can help and let’s encourage people to become a Dementia Friend. After all there is more to a person than their Dementia.