Creating a dementia friendly society in Kirklees
The Trust is supporting Kirklees Dementia Action Alliance’s (KDAA) work to help make Kirklees a more dementia friendly place to live and work.
On Tuesday 2nd June, KDAA will be holding a special event to recognise the efforts already progressed in Kirklees to make the community dementia friendly and consider how partners and networks can continue to work together to build on this so that people affected by dementia feel understood and included.
Attendees at the event also have the opportunity to take part in Dementia Friends training. The Dementia Friends programme, which is running nationwide, is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about the condition.
Becoming a Dementia Friend means that you’ll learn a little bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia so that you can then put this understanding into action. This could be anything from helping someone to find the right bus to spreading the word about dementia on social media.
Dawn Stephenson, director of corporate development at the Trust and a Dementia Friend will be attending the event on Tuesday. Dawn said, “This event is an opportunity to connect with our partners and agree how we can continue to support the creation of a dementia friendly society in Kirklees; learning which we’ll be able to share with other communities where we provide services.
“It’s estimated that over one million people will be diagnosed with dementia in the next ten years and many more people will be taking on the role of carer to look after their loved ones. It’s important that health and social care services recognise this and offer support and encourage connections between different organisations so that we can create communities that are dementia friendly. “
To find out more about the event visit Kirklees Dementia Action Alliance’s website. To find out more about becoming a dementia friend visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk