Families affected by dementia are set to receive more support thanks to a new initiative aiming to make Histon & Impington a place where they are welcomed, cared for and can live a full life.
Families affected by dementia are set to receive more support thanks to a new initiative aiming to get Histon & Impington officially recognised as a Dementia Friendly Community.
Project Forget-me-not is being launched on Friday, 14 May by local charity HI Friends, to coincide with national Dementia Action Week. It will be led by the new village dementia worker, Sarah Brown and Project Lead, Jan Payne.
Sarah’s role is to work closely with people affected by dementia, developing work begun in the village by Margaret Reed Roberts, so that anyone caring for people living with the condition, and people dealing with memory loss issues themselves, can ‘live well’ here.
She will be providing support and guidance for people living with dementia or memory loss, and their families and carers, helping with practical, emotional and social needs such as accessing local services, maintaining personal interests, taking part in social activities, and finding respite for carers.
She explained: “As well as helping those whose lives are affected by memory loss and dementia, my role is to influence change in Histon & Impington, to encourage a socially inclusive and compassionate neighbourhood response, so that people can maintain and increase their social contact.”
Village-wide project
Project Forget-me-not lead, Jan Payne, will be working with Sarah to achieve the Dementia Friendly Community designation for Histon & Impington. This quality standard is accredited by the Alzheimer’s Society, which awards the badge to places where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported, and confident they can contribute to community life.
“In a dementia friendly community people will be aware of and understand dementia,” they say, and “people with dementia will feel included and involved, and have choice and control over their day-to-day lives.”
The Alzheimer’s Society lists three key factors that contribute to people ‘living well’ in their community:
- Being able to find their way around locally, and be safe
- Continuing to have access the local facilities that they are used to and where they are known, such as banks, shops, cafes and post offices, and
- Maintaining their social networks so they feel they continue to belong.
Jan explained: “My focus is really to support Sarah’s work and grow a community that can help those living with dementia and memory loss.
“We’ll be listening closely to those affected by this, supporting businesses and groups of all ages, arranging activities around the village and forming a support group of people who’d like to get involved.
“We hope that it will become possible for everyone affected by dementia to feel cared for and welcome in our community. This project is about overseeing a change in perception and bringing about changes where needed.”
Taking action
The national Dementia Action Week runs from 17-22 May. To kick off Project Forget-me-not, Jan will be presenting a Dementia Friends Awareness session on Zoom, as offered by the Alzheimer’s Society. The first session will be on Tuesday 18 May at 7.30pm, and then repeated on Friday 21 May at 10.30am.
Jan has experience of helping to care for members of her own family living with dementia and her work has included leading singing groups for those with dementia and memory loss. She has also been trained by the Alzheimer’s Society to give these 45-minute presentations, which everyone can access from home and take part on a computer or phone. They are open to anyone over 18 and there’s no need to book in advance. Full details are available from the HI Friends website.
Then, on Saturday 22 May 2021, from 09.30am until midday, members of the public will be able to meet Sarah and Jan at a stall on The Green, where they can learn more about the project and share their views on the type of help and changes that would be most valuable.
Jan is keen that as many people as possible take part. She explained: “Dementia is an increasingly common condition that will affect many people in the village and it can have a profound impact on them, their family and their friends.
“Nationally 1 in 14 people over 65 live with dementia and by 2040 it could affect as many as 1.5 million people in the UK. What’s more, it is not just a disease of the elderly: increasingly more and more younger people are being given this diagnosis.
“But a diagnosis of dementia isn’t life-ending, and people can live well for many years if communities are supportive and understand what a huge difference their positive attitudes and behaviour can make to those living with the condition.
“I do hope that the village will embrace this opportunity to build on the amazing care and compassion they have shown to their neighbours during the pandemic, and create a lasting legacy that will be a shining example to other communities.”
Sarah is keen to hear from anyone affected by or caring for someone with dementia or memory loss, and Jan is starting her search for people willing to serve on the Support Group and make a start on achieving Dementia Friendly Community status for Histon & Impington.
To find out more, join the Dementia Friends Awareness session on Zoom:
Topic: Dementia Friends presentation webinar (on Zoom)
Time: May 18, 2021 19:30 London
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88271719510?pwd=RUtFcng2c3FBQzFRNE8yN2J6TzRqZz09
Meeting ID: 882 7171 9510
Passcode: ProjectFMN
Topic: : Dementia Friends presentation webinar (on Zoom)
Time: May 21, 2021 10:30 London
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85021584199?pwd=YXpsR2pRZm9CcTRMSC9HcUFqOXZRdz09
Meeting ID: 850 2158 4199
Passcode: ProjectFMN
For more information, come and chat to Sarah and Jan on The Green on Saturday 22 May from 9.30am to midday, or email sarah@hifriends.org.uk or jan@hifriends.org.uk