Dementia Friendly Communities
What is Dementia?
The term 'dementia' describes a set of symptoms which includes loss of memory, mood
changes, and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the
brain is damaged by certain diseases an example of this is Alzheimer's disease or damage
caused by a series of small strokes.
It is estimated that there are currently 7,400 people living with dementia in Warwickshire and
this number is predicted to increase by 34% in just ten years.
How does dementia impact peoples’ lives?
As a result of damage to the brain caused by dementia, people may experience problems
with:
• Thinking and reasoning
• Forgetfulness and memory loss
• Difficulty remembering names or finding words
• Confusion and disorientation in unknown surroundings
• Struggling to think things through fully and concentrate on tasks, finding it difficult to
make decisions and interpreting what is going on around them
• Keeping track of a purse or wallet, using their card, paying bills or forgetting to pay for
things they have just picked up
• As dementia progresses, sometimes memory loss for recent events is severe and the
person may appear to be living in the past; they may think of themselves as young and
loose a sense of the present
• Mood swings during periods of anxiety and stress
• Feeling fearful and suspicious
It is important to remember that every person is unique. People may experience all or some
of the above symptoms. Some people live for many years after a diagnosis being able to lead
independent and fulfilled lives.
What does being dementia friendly mean?
Being dementia friendly is about being aware of the impact that the condition has on a person
and their everyday life. It is about enabling people with dementia to continue living a good life
by making them feel supported, welcomed and encouraged to do the things they have always
enjoyed doing whilst feeling confident about accessing their community.
Recognising when someone has dementia
It is important to focus on people as individuals and not define them by their condition. If
someone experiences difficulty or confusion whilst accessing your service it may suggest
they have dementia but this will not necessarily be the case. It is important not to assume
that people who seem confused, lost or disorientated have dementia as their may be other
problems.
However if you do suspect someone has dementia they need extra help support, time or
consideration when accessing your service. They may also:
•
•
Tell you they have dementia and ask for help.
Carry a Dementia Helpcard which explains the
problem they have and how you might help:
How you can support someone with dementia?
Good people skills, including kindness, common
sense, having good communication
skills, and showing a good culture of customer care is
a great start.
Additionally, the following 9 top tips can help when
communicating with someone with dementia:
1. Make sure that there is enough light for the person to see you and reduce unnecessary
noise
2. Help the person to calm down if they seem anxious – offer a seat in a quiet area and/or a
glass of water, if possible. Ask them if there is anyone you can ring for help, if necessary.
3. Communicate in a clear manner. Ask the person for their name and permission to call
them by that; making frequent use of their name retains their attention. Don’t rush, speak
clearly and calmly, avoid speaking sharply or raising your voice as this can cause
distress.
4. Listen to what the person is saying. It will help them feel valued, respected and promote
their sense of well-being. Avoid correcting what people say as although this may be
inaccurate, it may mean something important to them.
5. Observe body language; although people may struggle to use their speech they may still
express themselves through body language.
6. Always assume people with dementia understand what you are saying. Just because
someone has dementia does not mean they do not hear what is being said around them.
7. If none of these work and the person appears in need of help, depending upon the nature
of your business you could call: the persons next of kin or contact number if you are able
to get this from them or their Helpcard if they carry one, your local community police
officer, social services outreach, or as the last resort, emergency services.
8. Ensure you take into account carers as experts in the situation and value their experience
and advice, if offered.
9. Create a dementia friendly environment by careful arrangement of furniture, choosing
appropriate lighting and colour schemes. Premises should be easy to orientate in; there
should be clear landmarks / signage to assist people finding their way round. Avoid clutter
and trip hazards. Avoid reorganising furniture and swapping things round.
Why is it important to become dementia friendly?
The number of people with dementia is growing. A lot of people accessing your business will
either have dementia or will know someone who does. This will have a huge impact on local
services and organisations which, if not geared towards the needs of people with dementia
and their family, may be inadvertently excluding them from their areas of business. Your
business may have a community charter or a community benefit component to your quality
assurance programme. Making it easier for people with dementia to use your business will
contribute to that.
Example of dementia friendly communities
Issue: A gentleman with dementia used to visit a local store to purchase his daily paper.
Whilst there, he would pick up a chocolate bar and eat it whilst walking around the shop, but
forget to pay for it. Eventually he got banned from the shop, thus cutting off his only real
access to the community.
Potential Solution: If staff in the store had more awareness around dementia and
understood the reasons for this behaviour, in this case forgetfulness, they could scan the
packet of the item at the same time as scanning the paper without causing the gentleman
distress.
How do you pledge to become Dementia Friendly?
Organisations signing up to the scheme can contact us by phone (01926 742214) or
email [email protected] expressing their interest. We will then
arrange to contact you discuss the process of becoming dementia friendly.
Organisation will be requested to complete a simple application form their commitments in
signing up to become dementia friendly. We will provide you with a resource pack which will
give you all necessary information about the scheme.
Become a Dementia Friend - Anyone can become a Dementia Friend – this scheme gives
people an opportunity to understand dementia. For more details on how to become a
Dementia Friend please visit:
http://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/article/about-friends/what-is-a-friend
Where to find information and advice about dementia?
The Coventry and Warwickshire Dementia Portal:
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/LivingWellwithDementia
Support services and help to people with dementia and their carers:
• Guideposts Trust (Warwickshire) Tel: 0845 600 9980
• Alzheimer’s Society (Warwickshire) Tel: 01926 888899
• Age UK (Warwickshire) Tel: 01926 458100
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