Supporting Dementia Action Week

Dementia Action Week runs between Monday 20 May and Sunday 26 May 2019 – a week that encourages everyone to take action to improve the lives of people living with dementia.

Every three minutes, someone in the UK develops dementia. This means almost all of us know someone affected by dementia – a family member, customer or colleague, and it doesn’t just affect elderly people. Despite everyone knowing someone affected, two-thirds of people living with dementia report feeling isolated and lonely.

That’s why this Dementia Action Week, we’re supporting the Alzheimer’s Society’s campaign to take action by starting a conversation with someone living with dementia we know. Whether it’s calling a relative with dementia or visiting a neighbour, it’s time for us all to start talking!

Over 250 of our colleagues have undergone Dementia Friends training. Some have got together to create this short video to talk about why being aware of dementia is so important, and offer some helpful tips for interacting with people living with dementia as we understand it can be difficult to know what to say.

Alzheimer’s Society has also teamed up with people affected by dementia to give you the best tips for getting a conversation started:

‘Talk to me, smile, be a little patient and give me time to reply.’

‘A simple ‘hello’, ask about the weather, anything that you feel comfortable with.’

‘Just be yourself and yes, we will make mistakes but it’s ok to laugh along with us.’

‘I love it when people ask me questions. It gives me an opportunity to show that people with dementia exist, that we can still contribute to things going on around us and that life goes on. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like me again’

‘Just don’t ask if I remember.’

‘Don’t be afraid. All it takes is a conversation to see we’re still us.’

For more information on dementia, visit www.alzheimers.org.uk.