People living with dementia are being asked by Southern Brooks Community Partnership to come forward and give their views on how Patchway could be made a better place for them to live. Their views will inform the formation of the Patchway Dementia Action Alliance.
The consultation will be launched this Wednesday, 22nd May, during national Dementia Awareness Week, with a group event and a free lunch at Coniston Community Centre (from 10am to 1pm).
All people living with dementia in Patchway, their carers, friends and families are invited to get involved. People are also invited to get in touch for a one-one interview, where they could take the interviewer out around Patchway to share their experiences directly, or they can speak to the interviewer on the telephone, or write their views down and send them to Southern Brooks. The consultation will end with another group event and free lunch during the Patchway Festival.
Southern Brooks Community Partnership is trying to find out answers to questions such as how easily they can get around the local shops and amenities; how easily they can take an active part in Patchway community life; what they think about local support and services for dementia; and what local peoples’ attitudes towards dementia are like.
Eleanor Fairbrother, the community development worker at Southern Brooks who is leading the consultation, said:
“Dementia can be a really isolating and frightening experience, but it doesn’t need to be. We believe with a little bit more awareness and support from the community, people living with dementia will be able to lead much more fulfilling lives. The first step is finding out what people’s experiences are and what support is needed here in Patchway, and I am really looking forward to listening to local people.”
For more details about this week’s consultation event, phone Southern Brooks on 01454 868 570.
Patchway Dementia Action Alliance will formally launch on 20th Sept 2013. It is being initiated by Southern Brooks Community Partnership, Alzheimer’s Society, South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and South Gloucestershire Council. It will form part of the national Dementia Action Alliance, which is the coming together of over 400 organisations to deliver the National Dementia Declaration, a common set of seven outcomes informed by people with dementia and their family carers. It will raise awareness about dementia in Patchway, and ask local people, groups, businesses and services to sign up to take action to make their part of Patchway more dementia friendly.
Photo: Coniston Community Centre – venue for the dementia consultation event on 22nd May.
