Local businesses and organisations will publicly pledge their support to make Patchway a dementia friendly community at Coniston Community Centre on Friday (20th September). The event, which runs from 10am to 1.30pm, will mark the launch of the Patchway Dementia Action Alliance.
The occasion will see over 60 key people representing businesses, statutory services, and community and voluntary organisations, as well as individuals from Patchway, coming together to pledge to take action to change the lives of people with dementia and their carers in Patchway.
Patchway Dementia Action Alliance is a Southern Brooks Community Partnership project in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Society, South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), South Gloucestershire Council (SCG), and Patchway Town Council.
The launch event will involve key speakers including Ian Sherriff, from Plymouth Dementia Action Alliance and Lead Academic for Dementia at Plymouth University, and Dr Jennifer Bute, a GP who retired early due to early onset Alzheimer’s Disease, who will be putting forward ideas of what we can do to help improve the lives of people with dementia.
Key businesses and organisations will publicly sign up and make pledges of the actions they will take to make Patchway a better place to live for people living with dementia.
Patchway Dementia Action Alliance is South Gloucestershire’s response to Prime Minister David Cameron’s Dementia Challenge to tackle what could be the greatest health and social care challenge of our time. Patchway DAA, part of the national Dementia Action Alliance, hopes to inspire other South Gloucestershire communities to start taking action now to become more dementia friendly.
Eleanor Fairbrother, Community Development Worker for Southern Brooks Community Partnership, who is leading the project, said:
“It is time to get everyone talking about dementia to reduce stigma and stop people becoming isolated unnecessarily. We want people living with dementia to be able to lead normal, active lives for as long as possible. We have been overwhelmed with support from all the parts of the community we have approached. Patchway is coming together to make a difference for people with dementia and their carers.”
Kathryn Hudson, Head of Partnerships & Joint Commissioning at South Gloucestershire CCG, said:
“Communities need to look after people with dementia because many often feel cut off. We can all be part of creating a dementia-friendly community which could make a real difference. Simple things such as training shop staff to recognise and deal with customers who have dementia, opening up leisure activities and ensuring that public transport can cater for their needs by help build their confidence to be part of local life and stay independent for longer.”
Photo: Coniston Community Centre – venue for the Patchway Dementia Action Alliance launch event on 20th September.
