What Is A Dementia Friendly Community?
A Dementia Friendly Community and Dementia Action Alliance are partnerships of people working together to enable communities to be more Dementia Friendly and Inclusive under the five following domains:
People
This means that our dementia awareness is based on quality standards and consistent messages.To be inclusive, people need a level of understanding of how the person living with dementia and their carers may experience life, and how they interpret what is around them.
In Gloucestershire, we are very fortunate to have the support of the Dementia Training and Education Strategy, which has a team of specialists who provide support for those who need it.
This means that our dementia awareness is based on quality standards and consistent messages.
Places
Our environments should be accessible and inclusive for all those living with dementia. We have connections to a member of the DAA Steering Group who has expertise in accessibility, providing workshops and support.
Dementia Friendly Audits carried out in public spaces and buildings covers access to premises and details how making small changes can make life easier for people to get about.
People Living with Dementia
When you know one person living with dementia, you know one person living with dementia.
It is important that we open two way communications allowing people living with dementia, carers and families to share their thoughts, experiences, needs and aspirations.
Certain services including Managing Memory Together (Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Trust), Alzheimers’ Society and Gloucestershire Carers Hub can provide support, but it is our aspiration that by raising awareness we increase connections in communities. This will enable us to be more proactive helping communities to include more people living with dementia.
Networks
Under the umbrella of the Countywide Alliance, we have work going on at all levels, including District and local communities, all working towards a common purpose whilst retaining autonomy.
This creates bottom up and top down conversations and engagements.
We have growing networks of people who have trained as Community Dementia Links (CDLs) working, or volunteering, in their own communities supporting people living with Dementia.
There are various network meetings ensuring information is shared and support provided.
Resources
A variety of resources are available both physical and virtual, and both local and further afield. These are imperative to help the community support not only the people who are living with Dementia, but their friends, family and carers too.
