To mark Dementia Awareness Week (19 – 25 May), Hampshire County Council is holding a number of events to promote greater understanding of the condition, which mainly affects older people.
Dementia Awareness Week is the Alzheimer’s Society’s annual flagship awareness-raising campaign and this year’s theme is ‘talking’.
The events are being co-ordinated by Andover Mind, who are commissioned by Hampshire County Council to deliver the new Hampshire-wide Dementia Friendly Communities project, as well as provide services for people with dementia and their carers.
Around one quarter of the population of Hampshire is likely to be over the age of 60 by 2026 with the largest growth being in the number of people aged 85 and over. One in six people over the age of 80 have dementia but currently only a third to a half of older people with dementia receive a diagnosis. People can, and do, live well with dementia and early diagnosis can improve a person’s quality of life and help them to maintain independence for longer.
Monday 20 May 2013
- Alresford Library 10.00am -1.00pm: leaflets display/information session
- Information session at St Thomas’ Care Home, Basingstoke
Tuesday 21 May
- Bishop Waltham Library poster/leaflets 2.30- 3.30 pm and Dementia Friends session
- The Wellbeing Centre, Vyne Rd Basingstoke – information session
- Fareham Library – find out more about dementia and dementia-friendly communities
Wednesday 22 May
- Fareham Shopping Centre – taking over a shop in the shopping centre with a display and several awareness raising information session
- Information session at Randell House, Blackwater
Thursday 23 May
- New Milton Mind Charity Shop, 118 Station Rd New Milton – raising awareness of dementia including a stand and posters
Friday 24 May
- Hart Shopping Centre in Fleet – find out more about dementia and how the community can help 9.30 -1.00pm in conjunction with Hart DC, Alzheimer’s Society, Hart Voluntary Action and Minding the Garden
Saturday 25 May
- Hart Shopping Centre in Fleet – find out more about dementia and how the community can help 9.30 – 1.00pm in conjunction with Hart DC, Alzheimer’s Society, Hart Voluntary Action and Minding the Garden
Monday 20 May – Friday 25 May
- Andover Library – display and information available at ‘help point’ in the library. Stand will be manned every morning during the week by Dementia Advice and DementiaFriendly Communities staff and volunteers.
Hampshire County Council, NHS Hampshire, Andover Mind and The Alzheimer’s Society have teamed up to provide a Dementia Advice service across Hampshire to support the delivery of the Joint Hampshire Commissioning strategy for Older Peoples Mental Health.
The strategy identifies the need to develop further information and signposting services for older people with mental health needs and their carers. The Dementia Advice Service helps people access appropriate care, support and advice.
The new Dementia Friendly Communities project, commissioned by Hampshire County Council and delivered by Andover Mind aims to create an engaged community, enthusiastic about and supportive of people with dementia. The project will involve and empower people with dementia and their carers, giving them a role in developing communities which enable them to ‘live well’ with dementia.
Other ways the County Council supports work to help people with dementia and their carers is through grants to voluntary organisations.
For more information go to the Andover Mind website
