Your community group will have an "agenda" for your particular mission, objectives, and projects and programmes in the locality.
Unless specifically involved, your group will probably not have anything to
do with dementia or those living with dementia. Nevertheless some of your members may have memory problems and even dementia, but the latter may not yet be assessed or diagnosed by a doctor or specialist.
Many members of your group may be personally involved or be
affected directly by a person living with dementia - it seems that about 40 million individuals in the UK are so affected. The latter may be
family, friend or neighbour of someone living with dementia.
Also, all members of your group are likely to meet someone with memory problems or dementia in the wider community - city, town, village, etc. He or she may be a fellow member who has recently been assessed and then diagnosed
Also, all members of your group are likely to meet someone with memory problems or dementia in the wider community - city, town, village, etc. He or she may be a fellow member who has recently been assessed and then diagnosed
If they have not done so already all groups in the community are likely to
become aware of the national movement towards dementia friendly communities.
How should the your management committee address any local initiative for a dementia friendly community? What needs to be considered in terms of your group's policies and practices so as to help your community to become more dementia friendly?
Firstly, as individuals you and other group members, particularly committee members might
consider the need to get knowledge and insights into the following:
- An awareness of the difficulties, particularly any stigma, experienced by a person living with dementia
- An awareness of the different types of dementia and their causes or sources
- An awareness / recognition of the symptoms of dementia, particularly certain types of dementia
- A sense of the stages of the life journey of someone living with dementia
- A recognition that about half those with dementia have not been diagnosed, and many with memory problems may not have dementia
- An understanding that life with dementia is not easy but can go on for a long time, with many skills, activities and so on are maintained
- An understanding that emotions can be retained longer than other facets of life - even say, after recognition and communication has become increasingly difficult.
