United against dementia

In support of next week’s Dementia Action Week, support manager Julia Ffoulkes and CWU rep Andy Gill, will be running a series of ‘Dementia Friends’ sessions on Monday 20 May at the Phoenix Centre in London. 

The goal of Dementia Action Week is to encourage people to take action to improve the lives of those affected by dementia, working to create a dementia-friendly UK, where those with dementia do not feel excluded. Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative to change the way people think, act and talk about dementia.

Both Julia and Andy have recently trained as volunteer ‘Dementia Champions,’ which means that they are fully trained and supported by the Alzheimer’s Society to run Dementia Friends sessions. 

Dementia Champions are not trained medical counsellors nor are they experts in the field. But they are trained to raise awareness of dementia and provide an introduction into creating what are known as dementia-friendly communities. The Alzheimer’s Society describes dementia-friendly communities as ‘a city, town or village where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported’.

The three one-hour sessions, which will run between 10.30 – 11.30, 12.30 – 13.30 and 14.30 – 15.30 are open to anyone and everyone, who is keen to learn more about dementia, including those who may have friends or family who would benefit from a better understanding of the condition.

There will be space for around 15-18 people per session. If you are interested in attending any of the session, please email julia.d.ffoulkes@royalmail.com stating the time that you would like to attend.

What is dementia?

Dementia itself is not a disease – it is actually caused by several different diseases. The word ‘dementia’ is simply an umbrella term for the symptoms caused by these diseases such as memory loss, confusion and personality change. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, but other dementias include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia.

There are around 850,000 people in the UK, who are currently affected by dementia. Dementia does not just affect the elderly; 40,000 people in the UK under the age of 65 suffer from early onset dementia. It is believed that by 2051, the number of people who have dementia in the UK will have risen to two million.

Five facts

• Dementia is not a natural part of ageing
• Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain
• Dementia is not just about losing your memory. It can affect thinking, communicating and doing everyday tasks
• It’s possible to live well with dementia
• There’s more to a person than their dementia