HEALTH partners, businesses, schools and residents are working together to make a community dementia friendly.
The Alzheimer's Society and Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's Barrow Community Mental Health Team for Older Adults have started a collaborative initiative towards making Walney dementia friendly.
Scores of people attended the launch of Walney Dementia Action Alliance on Thursday at The Castle Hotel, Walney.
A dementia friendly community can help improve the lives of those living with the disease, along with their families and carers. It can also help those with dementia to live longer in the community.
The Alzheimer's Society says 8,000 people in Cumbria were diagnosed with dementia in 2013, which is estimated to increase by 40 per cent by 2020.
The event gave information about dementia and advice about good customer service, or being a supportive residents, to a person with dementia. For a business it could be being aware that a person may need patience and assistance, maybe with recognising certain coins.
Introducing the launch were Claire Kaye, leader of the Barrow Community Mental Health Team for Older Adults, Alison Hodson, of The Alzheimer's Society, and Pat Hurley, a community member and retired headteacher St Columba's Catholic Primary School.
Those supporting the event included Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, Barrow and District Age UK, Furness Carers, the Walney Dementia Cafe group, based at Walney Cottages, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, St Mary's Hospice, Walney Library, local businesses and schools.
Ms Kaye said: "We want people living on Walney who have dementia to live well in their community for as long as possible with the support of everyone in that community. It is about keeping people as independent as possible for as long as possible and allowing people to live well with their dementia.
"It's looking at what we can do on Walney to make people confident, if they go into a shop and something happens there is someone there who has an understanding.
"We want to encourage people to be patient, and have that kindness and compassion. People with dementia are still unique individuals.
Mrs Hodson said: "Everyone is really motivated and passionate about this, Walney is really community driven.
"We want to raise awareness through workshops. It also helps to reduce the stigma around dementia. We need to change the attitude towards the disease."
Anyone wanting a dementia friendly session can email claire.kaye@cumbria.nhs.uk
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