I attended a training course to become a Dementia Friend. Extra Help provides support for quite a few clients with Dementia and I felt it was only right to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible …
I’ve been able to share that valuable knowledge with our home helpers and our franchisees, who can then share their knowledge with their home helpers, friends and family.
“It’s really important to get the right messages about Dementia out there!”
It’s predicted that by 2025, a million people in the UK will be living with Dementia. Like with everything, understanding Dementia and how it affects people living with it will make a huge difference to people’s lives.
The Government, along with the Alzheimers Society, has a huge initiative to raise awareness about Dementia. The courses are free or you can become a Dementia Friend online if that’s what you’d prefer.
Dementia is caused by a number of diseases that affect the brain. The most common is Alzheimer’s, but diseases also include Vascular Dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies and Pick’s Disease.
Different types of Dementia can affect the brain at different rates and in different ways, but other things such as someone’s personal circumstances, the people around them and the environment in which they live, will affect their experience of Dementia. It progresses in a way that is unique to each individual.
It is true that more people over 65 have Dementia, but it is not exclusively an older person’s disease; younger people get Dementia too.
Five things you need to know about dementia:
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Dementia is not a natural part of the ageing process.
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Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain.
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It is not just about losing your memory.
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It’s possible to live well with it.
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There is more to the person than the Dementia.
To find out more about becoming a Dementia Friend, you can visit https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk or if you’d like me to run a Dementia Friends session locally to Plymouth, please email me or call me on 0845 618 2904.
Until next time …
CLAIRE ROBINSON
PS:Why not visit www.extra-help.co.uk and find out more?