Thanks to funding from the Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership (GAMP), the Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) has developed a new project, Town of Our Times, which aims to help Newton Aycliffe become a Dementia Friendly Community.
A Dementia Friendly Community is a town where people living with Dementia are understood, respected and supported. Current statistics show that 47% of people living with Dementia feel a part of their community and 28% said they have given up going out of the house. (Source: Alzheimer’s Society, 2013)
PCP chief executive Carol Gaskarth said: “Learning to appreciate things from the perspective of a person living with Dementia completely opened my eyes to how the Pioneering Care Centre needed to change to be more inclusive. As a charity whose focuses on health and wellbeing it is important that we do all we can to make our services accessible and simple steps can make a huge difference!
“Through the Town of Our Times project we aim to support others to think about what they can do on a very practical level to raise awareness of Dementia and support people to continue to feel part of their community.”
To become Dementia friendly organisation can be relatively straightforward and take less time than you might think. It involves a short training course for staff or volunteers to become a ‘Dementia Friend’ and considering accessibility; this could include simple changes to signage or providing a quiet space.
Whether you’re a shop, community centre, working in a small unit on the Business Park or a large employer we are here to support you. If you would like help support and advice to becoming a Dementia Friendly organisation please contact Jane Cunningham 01325 321234, email [email protected].